Architects often get venerated for their genius, portrayed as larger-than-life figureheads (or Fountainheads) due to their vision, stubbornness and creative drive. But within a profession known for holier-than-thou creatives, only one has actually been suggested for sainthood: the reserved and religious Antoni Gaudí. A turn-of-the-century Catalan architect and artisan whose fantastical body of work, a warren of curves and craftsmanship, still seems wholly original, Gaudi was a visionary before modernism was a buzzword. His creative work in and around Barcelona, including the towering, still unfinished Basilica Sagrada Familia, animates the Spanish city, like beautiful calligraphy rolling over the straight lines and grids of a standard urban landscape. Inspired by his Mediterranean heritage and the surrounding countryside, his evolving and expressive style fused Oriental, organic, and increasingly religious inspirations. While his work would become more colorful and creative over time, Gaudi himself became more withdrawn, focused on his craft to the exclusion of just about everything else. He so threw himself into the Sagrada Familia project that he lived like a pauper, taking up residence inside the structure, spending his last days with the craftsman building the towering structure (workers for whom he built housing and schools). His impressive body of work in Barcelona reflects this devotion, structures that seem as natural as any tree standing on the hillside.
· Antoni Gaudí's Casa Vicens Opening as a Museum in 2016 [Curbed]
· Church Designed by Gaudí 100 Years Ago Is Finally Being Built [Curbed]
· On His Birthday, 7 'Gaudí-Inspired' Homes Up For Grabs [Curbed]