From the towering Sagrada Familia to the shimmering, textured facade of Casa Batllo and the enchanting landscape of Park Guell, it's easy to see why Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) gained the epithet "God's architect." With fluid forms and mathematical precision, his work extols the wonder of natural creation: columns soar like tree trunks, window frames curve like flowering branches, and ceramic tiling shimmers like scaly, reptilian skin. With this outstanding attention to natural detail, his inspirations from both neo-Gothic and Orientalist aesthetics, and a lifelong commitment to Catalan identity, Gaudi created a unique brand of the Modernista movement which transformed, and defines, Barcelona's cityscape. With seven of Gaudi's projects listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this book introduces the architect's extraordinary vision and unique legacy, exploring the influences and the details which allow his buildings to impress, inspire, and amaze, one century after their construction. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN's Basic Architecture series features: an introduction to the life and work of the architect the major works in chronological order information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts, and plans)

Antoni Gaudi is celebrated as one of the most important architects of the early 20th century. His unbelievable Art Nouveau buildings were marked by their whimsical design and fantastic details. While much has been written on this extraordinary figure, Living Gaudi is one of the few books to consider his gardens, parks and residential projects as a body of work, and one of the few to particularly focus on his designs for interior furnishings, which were part and parcel of his overall vision for a building. This littleknown aspect of his work is surveyed in this book with stunning photography and exquisite detail. The volume also includes a selection of the architect's own writings, which give the reader a revealing look at his incomparable genius. Complete with archival photographs and more than 150 full-color contemporary photographs, Gaudi's amazing talent is revealed in this landmark work.