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Essay / Antoni Gaudi: Catalan architect - 1414
Antoni Gaudi was a Catalan architect from Spain who lived from 1852 to 1826 and was the master of Catalan modernism. Most of Gaudi's work was marked by his 3 passions in life: religion, nature and architecture. His works show various unique styles that he achieved by researching natural forms and employing them in his buildings while studying every detail of his creations, assimilating each innovative design solution into his design. He was influenced by neo-Gothic art and became a major part of the modernist movement, although his works transcended the conception of traditional modernism. He used organic styles inspired by shapes he found in nature and rarely drew plans, much preferring to use 3D models and casts. His works are largely concentrated in Barcelona, 7 of which have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including his great and still incomplete masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia. Antoni Gaudi was born in Riudoms or Reus in 1852. He was the youngest of a family of 5 children. and one of three who survived to adulthood. His exact birthplace is a mystery as no supporting documents have been found, leading to controversy over whether he was born in Reus or Riudoms. He greatly appreciated his homeland and was proud of its heritage, believing that Mediterranean people were creative and had a subconscious sense of design. As a child, Gaudi suffered from rheumatism and general poor health which perhaps contributed to his reserved character. These health problems and the theories of hygienist Dr. Kneipp facilitated Gaudi's transition to vegetarianism. His religion and vegetarianism led him to undertake several long fasts which were often unhealthy and which led in 1894 to a fatal illness. His professional life was very distant...... middle of paper ...... having keystones and ribs while being hyperboloid the vaults have a center and allow the holes to let in natural light. He complemented his organic vision of architecture with a unique spatial vision that would allow him to conceive three-dimensional designs. With this particular design, he always preferred to use casts and scale models, being reluctant to make plans and very rarely drawing his works. In the history of architecture, Gaudi occupies the position of a creative genius who, inspired by the forms he found in nature, he developed his own architectural style and achieved aesthetic value as well as technical perfection . His structural innovations are largely the result of his journey through many styles and genres of design, Baroque, Gothic and traditional Catalan, the styles are often said to have culminated in his work, reinterpreting and improving them..