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Palau Guell

Gaudi's Modernisme Early Work

The Palau Güell, the private residence of Catalan industrialist Güell, was designed and built by Gaudí in 1886. It was an early testing ground for Gaudí's innovative attempts, with elements of steel, glass, and mosaic being inherited by his later works.

The Palau Güell (Güell Palace), was the first major commission Gaudi received to build a private residence for Catalan industrialist Eusebi Güell. As one of his early projects, Gaudi experimented with many innovative designs that broke with tradition at the Palau Güelll, many elements of which were inherited by his later works.

Compared to Gaudi’s other works such as Casa Mila and Basilica Of The Sagrada Familia, the Main Facade of Palau Güell is much more understated, but the beginnings of Gaudi’s own style can already be seen in the use of steel, stone, and glass.

The Palau Güell is a six-story building with a vestibule, main floor, bedroom level, attic, and two mezzanine levels, as well as a basement and rooftop terrace. The core of the building is the Central Hall on the main floor, with a Hall Dome that is of comparable height to the building and connects to a translucent tower on the rooftop that provides ample natural light to all levels.

The Bedroom Level is dedicated to the Güells and their family, with a male master bedroom, female master bedroom, children’s room, and shower rooms. The main floor and the bedroom level each have a Hall of Intimates, which is used for family gatherings and activities, as well as when the owners meet with close friends.

The Topmost Attic, where the servants lived and worked, was originally divided into 11 servants’ rooms, the kitchen and the laundry, and is now used as a temporary display space for the Palau Güell. There is a special staircase in the Palau Güell that allows the servants to move between floors.

The Rooftop Terrace of the Palau Güell is a vivid example of Gaudi’s style, with a translucent main tower surrounded by 20 chimneys decorated with colorful mosaic tiles, similar to the Rooftop of Casa Mila.

Eusebi Güell often invited guests to banquets at the Palau Güell, and the guests’ carriages could be driven directly into the vestibule on the ground floor. Gaudi designed a ramp between the vestibule and the basement, from which the coachman would bring the horses to rest in Underground Stables.

Since the Palau Güell, Gaudi formed a strong friendship with Güell, for whom he designed and built the famous Park Güell in the early 20th century.