Antoni Gaudi is said to be the most popular architect of all time. Gaudi was born to Francesc Guadi, a boilermaker, and Antonia Cornet i Bertran, whose father was also a boilermaker. From the age of 6, he suffered from a disease called rheumatic arthritis which hindered his ability to play with neighboring kids or walk. Because of his disease he spent most of his time observing nature from his family home in Reus, Spain. In the years to follow he was reported to have shown remarkably keen vision. In 1863, while Gaudi was eleven years old he attended Col.legi de les Escoles Píes (Pious School) in Reus. He excelled in geometry, and over the years his grades in his other subjects improved. During this time, his condition began to get better. He started to draw comics for his schools newspaper. He also designed scenes for his schools theater club. It was four years later, when he turned 15 years old he found architecture. It happened one day as he, and two other friends that attended his school, came across the abandoned ruins of the Santa María de Poblet monastery. The group enthusiastically tackled the project, although all that is left is Gaudi's drawing of a floor plan.
In 1868 he moved to Barcelona to commence studying the art of architecture. In order to enroll in Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura (Upper Technical School of Architecture), he had to first take three courses at Provincial School of Architecture and two at the College of Science. "While studying Architecture he also attended Philosophy, History, Economics and Aesthetics classes, because he said that different architectural styles did not depend on aesthetic ideas but on the social and political atmosphere.(Gaudi Club)". Already Gaudi was thought to be a creative genius by his professors, who were also very prominent architects themselves, he also excelled in calculus. During his years at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, he missed many days due to projects he had been currently working on, but substituted for lost time in the library. In 1874-1877 he was drafted in the army, but soon after being released from duty, he continued with his projects. Some of those projects were the fountain complex in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, which Gaudi partnered up with fellow classmate Josep Fontserè i Mestres to help finish it (1877-82). Casa Vicens, which was being constructed in Barcelona (1878-80). El Capricho, a house at Comillas (north of Spain) on which Gaudí was working on from 1883-85, despite the fact that he had never been to the construction site, which was a habit that would later change, once started he live on his job sites. He was one of four who attended the school to be granted the title architect. After school he acquired many jobs his first, from Count Eusebi Güell, who throughout the years proved to be a loyal customer.
In 1868 he moved to Barcelona to commence studying the art of architecture. In order to enroll in Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura (Upper Technical School of Architecture), he had to first take three courses at Provincial School of Architecture and two at the College of Science. "While studying Architecture he also attended Philosophy, History, Economics and Aesthetics classes, because he said that different architectural styles did not depend on aesthetic ideas but on the social and political atmosphere.(Gaudi Club)". Already Gaudi was thought to be a creative genius by his professors, who were also very prominent architects themselves, he also excelled in calculus. During his years at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, he missed many days due to projects he had been currently working on, but substituted for lost time in the library. In 1874-1877 he was drafted in the army, but soon after being released from duty, he continued with his projects. Some of those projects were the fountain complex in the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barcelona, which Gaudi partnered up with fellow classmate Josep Fontserè i Mestres to help finish it (1877-82). Casa Vicens, which was being constructed in Barcelona (1878-80). El Capricho, a house at Comillas (north of Spain) on which Gaudí was working on from 1883-85, despite the fact that he had never been to the construction site, which was a habit that would later change, once started he live on his job sites. He was one of four who attended the school to be granted the title architect. After school he acquired many jobs his first, from Count Eusebi Güell, who throughout the years proved to be a loyal customer.
Architectural Style
At first his "style", or genre of architecture was a medieval Gothic type. He enjoyed reading and looking at art that had taken place during the renaissance times. He also enjoyed nature, this is prominently shown when you look at the Casa Batlló and the Casa Milà. It was when building this he came up with a new way of building structure is which a building could stand on its own without any eternal structures. Soon after, in 1910 he abandoned all of his current jobs to work one of his most known buildings: the Sagrada Familia. Sadly, after working on it for 43 years he was hit by a cab on June 7th,1926. Because of the fact that he was poorly dressed, the cab driver thought he was homeless and left him there. When the cops finally found him they brought him to the hospital where the bishop of his church identified him. He died three days later. About half of Barcelona dressed in black on the day of his funeral. The end date for the Sagrada Familia is set for 2024 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death.