Quick Jumplinks to Navigate the Guide
- Why You Should Visit It
- Casa Vicens Tickets
- Casa Vicens Architecture
- What Not to Miss
- Planning Your Casa Vicens Visit
- Casa Vicens Reviews
Why You Should Visit It
Must-visit exhibits of Casa Vicens include the dining room with original Gaudí-designed furniture, a specially designed smoking room with plaster replicas of palm trees, bedrooms decorated with leafy foliage, and a lush garden inspired by the Mediterranean. There’s even a cozy café, Hofmann Cafeteria, serving bocadillos or Spanish baguettes to eat – the perfect way to round off a tour of the work of one of the most famous architects in the world!
Casa Vicens Tickets
Fast Track Tickets to Casa Vicens
• Skip the lines and dive headfirst into designer Gaudí’s architectural forms at Casa Vicens.
• Explore the history and culture of the inspired design of Casa Vicens Barcelona.
Skip the line outside and enter the house directly. Explore the living room with its nature-inspired smoking room, and the dining area with wooden furniture designed by Gaudí himself. Discover a beautiful collection of 32 paintings by Torrescasana in the same room. While the first floor houses private rooms and a bathroom, the second floor is home to the permanent collection and is the best place to thoroughly immerse yourself in the culture and history of Gaudí with its audio-visual presentation and special documents.
Casa Vicens Architecture
Gaudí’s style of architecture and his intuitive application of bright and seemingly eccentric colors paved the way for a new form of design altogether – Modernisme. Heavily influenced by nature and a type of Moorish revival architecture called Neo-Mudejar, this special design was incorporated in the form of horseshoe arches and vibrant facades seen in Casa Vicens. Additionally, it can also be seen in the birds, vines, and ivy that decorate the tiles, the ornate cast-iron gate, the murals, and even some of the furniture in the house.
Using multiple materials (even papier-maché!), Gaudí created a beautiful home inspired by global sources, with traces of Indian and Japanese forms of architecture. Antoni Gaudí believed that ‘the house is the nation of the family’ – and true to his belief, the Casa Vicens truly represents a style and culture of its own.
What Not to Miss
Rooftop
This is the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life, and take in some quiet time. As Gaudí’s first accessible rooftop, it features curved terracotta tiles to collect rainwater, and also has three chimneys covered in green and white tiles.
Smoking Room
Inspired by orientalism, this special smoking room features palm trees adorned with clustered of dates made from plaster, and papier-mache tiles in green, blue and gold – the room gives the effect of being in an oasis, an alternate reality where one can relax to the fullest.
Dining Room
The dining room is particularly special, featuring wooden furniture designed by Gaudí himself, as well as 32 paintings by Spanish artist Francesc Torrescassana. The room is decorated with vibrant ceramic tiles and ornate plant motifs on the walls, once again showing Gaudí’s love for nature.
Francesc Torrescassana's Paintings
Commissioned by by the building’s original owner, Manel Vicens i Montaner, these paintings by Spanish artist Francesc Torrescassana depict historical subjects, portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes. They were displayed after extensive restoration work by by a professional team from Policromia.
Ironwork
Another distinguishing characteristic of Gaudí’s work was his use of multiple media. The most prominent materials used were wood, ceramic, and iron. Intricate ironwork is seen in the cast-iron gate in the form of palm-tree leaves and carnations.
Ceramic Tiles
Another material that Gaudí used liberally at the Casa Vicens Barcelona is ceramic tile. They can be seen in vibrant colors all over the house, blending together Gaudí’s distinctive style with Moorish inspiration.
Planning Your Casa Vicens Visit
Casa Vicens Opening Hours
Monday to Sunday: 10AM to 8PM
Last entry: 7 PM
How to Get There
Address
Carrer de les Carolines, 24, 08012, Barcelona
Get Directions
Metro: The nearest station, Fontana (L3), is 250 m away.
Bus: 22, 24, 27, 32, 87, 92, 114, V17
Casa Vicens Reviews
This house is right next to Casa Batlló. Totally different style but the story of the family and the architecture of the house really need to be seen and not just a glance and a photo from the outside!
DavidOfWatford, TripAdvisor, July 2018
Beautifully restored Gaudi first commission which is so fine from conception to detail. It is full of interesting exhibits telling the relationship to the arts and crafts movement and other movements related to modernism. Gaudi is a startling fusion of art, architecture and craft. There is also a small pleasant cafe and great shop which sells really interesting books and cards and real art and craft not the usual tourist trash. Great place to start on Gaudi - you will want to do more.
Michael C, TripAdvisor, June 2018
The post Discover Where Gaudí’s Tryst with Catalan Modernisme Began at the Casa Vicens Barcelona appeared first on Headout Blog.
