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WORKS OF ANTONI GAUDÍ Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí is the leader of one of the decisive lines that shaped the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries all over Europe, although he never bowed to the formal and aesthetic rules of Catalan .

Born in Reus on 25 June 1852, he graduated as an architect in 1878. The time at which he lived –the consolidation of the process of industrialisation– meant that some of his best customers were the bourgeoisie and the church.

Gaudí understood architecture as a total art, as we can see from the attention he paid to each of the elements that go to make up his work, from the railings of the balconies to the handles on the doors. He was also fascinated by nature and geometry and took advantage of all the technical innovations of the time. Among his outstanding works, apart from Casa Milà, are Casa Vicens, Parc Güell, Casa Batlló or La Sagrada Família. UNESCO presents its Recommendation on the Safeguarding of the Beauty and Character 1962 of Landscapes and Sites. This recommendation covers the preservation and the restoration of the CASA MILÀ aspect of natural, rural and urban landscapes and sites, whether natural or man-made, which have a cultural or aesthetic interest or form typical natural Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘La Pedrera’, is surroundings. probably one of the most famous buildings of the Catalan Modernisme or Catalan period and one of the architect Antoni Gaudí’s most Casa Milà was built as two apartment blocks with ambitious works. It is a container that is a work of independent entrances linked by two large inner art in itself. courtyards and a sinuous common façade that Its singularity and artistic and heritage value are conveys the rhythm of the interior. The structure amply accredited by its inclusion in the city of of the house is made of pillars and contains an Barcelona Artistic Heritage catalogue in 1962; by its open plan floor with large openings on the façade. declaration as Historical and Artistic Monument of The building marked a break with the architectural National Interest by the Spanish government in 1969; language of Gaudí’s work in terms of innovation in or by its entry by UNESCO on its World Heritage both the functional aspects and the constructive and list in 1984, for its exceptional universal value. ornamental ones. Known as La Pedrera (the stone quarry) because Gaudí planned Casa Milà (1906–1912) at the age of of its rough outer appearance, reminiscent of an fifty-three, when he was at the height of his powers open quarry, Casa Milà was commissioned by the and had found a style of his own independent of industrialist Pere Milà i Camps and his wife, Rosario any established ones. It turned out to be his last Segimon i Artells, the widow of a man from Reus civil work and one of the most innovatory in its who had made a fortune in the colonies, from Antoni functional, constructive and ornamental aspects. Gaudí in 1906. The idea was to erect a building on a Indeed, thanks to his artistic and technical ideas, it has plot on the boundary of Barcelona and Gràcia, as a always been considered a breakthrough work, outside family home, but also with apartments for rent, at a the concepts of the time, a rara avis in Modernisme time when the Barcelona Eixample had become the itself and, especially, a work that anticipated the driving force behind the expansion of the city, which architecture of the 20th century. turned Passeig de Gràcia into the new bourgeois Casa Milà is the fourth and final work Gaudí did on residential area. Passeig de Gràcia, the main avenue of the city at the time. It linked the old Barcelona, which by then had demolished its walls, with the town of Gràcia. Although its official denomination is Casa Milà UNESCO launches an international campaign because it was a building initiative of that family, 1959 and collects US$80 million to save the Abu who also took up residence there, it was soon given Simbel temples in the Nile valley. A draft of the the nickname ‘La Pedrera’, which alludes ironically, convention on the protection of cultural heritage as we have said, to the appearance of the exterior, is prepared. reminiscent of an open quarry. CASA BATLLÓ

Mr Josep Batlló granted full creative freedom to An Inside That Is Full of Art Antoni Gaudí, putting him in charge of a project that initially entailed demolishing the building. The inside of Casa Batlló is a marvel of design. Gaudí However, thanks to the courage shown by Gaudí, the collaborated with the very best artisans of the time, demolition of the house was ruled out, and it was working with wrought iron, wood, stained glass, fully reformed between 1904 and 1906. The architect ceramic and stone ornaments, among others. completely changed the façade, redistributing the internal partitioning, expanding the patio of lights When touring the house, its details never cease to and converting the inside into a true work of art. amaze. Doors leading to the different apartments Besides its artistic value, the building is also extremely are identified by letters with modernist traits. The functional, much more characteristic of modern times windows of each landing distort the tiles of the patio than of the past. Some even see elements that herald of lights, transforming them into beautiful ripples of the architectural trends of the late 20th Century. water. The doorknobs and banisters have ergonomic shapes… It is a true work of art, in which the artist From the 1950s Casa Batlló was no longer owned by has been involved in each and every aspect: design, the Batlló family. After being taken over by different colour, shape, space and light. companies and individuals, since the 1990s the building has been in the hands of its current owners, This exuberance will never cease to amaze you, but the Bernat family, who have fully restored the house. the most surprising thing is that it is always based on In 1995, the family opened the house to the public functionality. Beauty and function come together in and presented this architectural gem to the world, each corner of the building, from the entrance hall to offering the use of the building for events. Since the roof terrace. 2002, coinciding with the International Year of Gaudí, The communal entrance hall on the ground floor leads cultural visits have also been offered at Casa Batlló. to the Batlló family’s private entrance hall, through an Both activities are currently available, with constant impressive modernist grid. This is the first stop of the innovations in terms of offer and contents. visit. This space evokes an underwater environment, At present, Casa Batlló is a UNESCO World transporting visitors to the fantastic world of Jules Heritage site and an icon in Barcelona, a must see Verne, with skylights that resemble turtle shells, for those who want to discover Gaudí’s work vaulted walls with curved shapes and a spectacular and modernism at its finest. It is also one of the wooden staircase. The carved banister, made from most highly rated cultural and tourist attractions, hardwood, represents the backbone of a huge animal, A White House. Conference in Washington, D.C., raising through impossible spaces. in 1965 called for a ‘World Heritage Trust’ to welcoming 1 million visitors every year. 1965 protect ‘natural and scenic areas and historic sites.’ CASA BATLLÓ

The Noble Floor is at the very heart of the house, with a unique hall that represents the maximum expression of modernism, explaining how the bourgeoisie of the time lived. The first room we reach on this floor is Mr Batlló’s study and an interesting mushroom-shaped fireplace. This leads to the house’s main living room, where a large picture window takes centre stage, forming a gallery onto Paseo de Gracia, which is ideal to see and be seen. Among other elements, the huge oak doors are particularly noteworthy, with organic The Batlló family’s private dining room, located in The roof terrace is dominated by what is popularly shapes into which Gaudí incorporated stained glass the centre of the Noble Floor, leads to an exclusive known as the dragon’s back, which characterises the panes and a totally wavy ceiling, which evokes the rear courtyard, a small oasis in the middle of the façade and which has been represented by Gaudí strength of the sea. city, designed for its enjoyment in the afternoon. The with different coloured tiles. most noteworthy aspects of this space are its paving However, the main focal point of the roof terrace The patio of lights is a fundamental part of the house, and its and glass-coated flower pots as its main are the 4 crooked and polychrome chimney stacks, as it distributes the air and light that enter through decorative elements. the main skylight. Gaudí extended the patio (there designed to prevent backdraughts. The loft is one of the most unique spaces, and is a was one and he included a second) to ensure that Once again, beauty and functionality are brought delightful combination of aesthetics and functionality. natural light would reach all of the rooms of the together at the most beautiful and emblematic house It was formerly a service area for the tenants of the house. He also decorated it with tiles of different of Catalan modernism. blue tones (with more intense colour in the upper building and housed laundry rooms, storage areas, etc. part and lighter tiles at the bottom) in order to It is characterised by the simplicity of its shapes, ensure the uniform distribution of the light. its Mediterranean influence through the use of the Following this same logic, the upper windows are colour white, and its all-pervading light. It features a smaller and they become bigger as we descend series of 60 catenary , creating a space which (allowing more light to enter). The lower windows evokes the ribcage of an animal. have wooden slits which can be opened or closed for ventilation control. Gaudí installed the lift in the centre of the patio of lights. Its beautiful original wooden lift car is still in UNESCO spearheads an international use today. campaign to save Venice after disastrous 1966 floods threatened the city. PALAU GÜELL

Palau Güell (1886–1890) is a magnificent example of Comella, which won the silver medal. Eusebi Güell was domestic architecture in the context of Art Nouveau. most impressed and, back in Barcelona, he asked to be It was the home of the Güell i López family until they introduced to the man who made such a marvel, moved to Park Güell. A long relationship began then between Antoni Gaudí Gaudí designed a functional adapted to the and Eusebi Güell. Güell understood the meaning of family’s needs in both their private life and the Gaudí’s architecture and gave him the opportunity to intense cultural and social life they led. begin his professional career, to develop his talent and artistic qualities. The building is noteworthy for its innovative conception of space and light. In building Palau A friendship developed between Güell and Gaudí that Güell Gaudí used a variety of solutions based on would make possible a series of architectural and artistic very personal approaches and created exceptional projects that were full of constructive innovation and expressive forms, the fruit of his imagination, using creative symbolism: Güell Park, the crypt of the church noble traditional materials (stone, wood, wrought at Güell Colony, etc. iron, pottery, glass, etc.). Güell Palace too became a reality thanks to the trust It was declared a historical-artistic monument by and admiration Eusebi Güell felt for the talent of the Spanish Government (in 1969), Cultural Asset Antoni Gaudí. of National Interest by the Catalan Government At the end of their lives, Güell and Gaudí both lived and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (in 1984). in Park Güell: Eusebi Güell in the farmhouse at the As an early work, the building contains the essence entrance to the development, approximately from 1910, of Gaudí’s later works and is fundamental to when he moved there from Palau Güell, until he died in understanding his architecture. 1918. Antoni Gaudí bought one of only two houses that were built in Park Güell and lived there until he moved The Relationship into his workshop at the Sagrada Família. Between Güell and Gaudí

In 1878, at the Paris World’s Fair, a glass cabinet was displayed, made by Gaudí for the glover Esteve

IUCN develops a proposal similar to the ‘World 1968 Heritage Trust’ for its members. COLONIA GÜELL

Mr Josep Batlló granted full creative freedom to Colonia Güell History Antoni Gaudí, putting him in charge of a project that initially entailed demolishing the building. The interest of escaping the social conflicts arisen in However, thanks to the courage shown by Gaudí, the the city made the new industry to be conceived with- demolition of the house was ruled out, and it was in the framework of an industrial colony; with housing fully reformed between 1904 and 1906. The architect of the workers next to the mill, within the property, completely changed the façade, redistributing the constituting an urban nucleus with its own social and internal partitioning, expanding the patio of lights economic life albeit overseen by the company. and converting the inside into a true work of art. Besides its artistic value, the building is also extremely In contrast to most industrial colonies in Catalo- functional, much more characteristic of modern times nia, Eusebio Güell worked to improve the social than of the past. Some even see elements that herald conditions of his workers and applied his cultural pa- the architectural trends of the late 20th Century. tronage in the Colonia, providing it with cultural and religious facilities of a modernist design which were From the 1950s Casa Batlló was no longer owned by developed by different architects, most notably Gaudí the Batlló family. After being taken over by different to whom he entrusted the building of the church. companies and individuals, since the 1990s the building has been in the hands of its current owners, The master builders also left the imprint of their tal- the Bernat family, who have fully restored the house. ent in many of the buildings as can be seen in many In 1995, the family opened the house to the public different facades and cornices. and presented this architectural gem to the world, The industrial colonies where conceived as a offering the use of the building for events. Since socioeconomic organization whose main goal was 2002, coinciding with the International Year of Gaudí, industrial productivity. The mill took up most of the cultural visits have also been offered at Casa Batlló. time of the men and women of the colony, for them Both activities are currently available, with constant it was the guarantee of having a regular income in innovations in terms of offer and contents. times of economic scarcity. At present, Casa Batlló is a UNESCO World However, over the years, trade unions and the Heritage site and an icon in Barcelona, a must see workers movement arose in the colony. In the for those who want to discover Gaudí’s work beginning of the civil war the mill was collectivized and modernism at its finest. It is also one of the and run by its workers. At the end of the war, the most highly rated cultural and tourist attractions, mill was given back to its owner, the Güell family welcoming 1 million visitors every year. who in 1.945 sold it to the Bertrand y Serra family. COLONIA GÜELL

Over the next few years the mill continued its set no limits or barriers, neither in the budget nor in industrial production and own municipal personality, how the construction had to be done, and, as would separate to that of Santa Coloma de Cervelló who be seen eventually, not even in the timeframe to began to grow and surpass the colony terms of build the church. population during the 1960’s. In 1.898 Eusebio Güell commissioned the architect During the uncontrolled urban development of the Antonio Gaudí the project of a church for the textile 60’s and 70’s, the Colonia Güell remained intact as its estate of Santa Coloma de Cervelló. Over the next main goal was textile production. During the textile few years, Gaudí carried out various preliminary crisis of 1.973 the mill ceased its production which studies which culminated in a model which was had a big social impact in the Colonia. Over the next placed in a pavilion located in the hill were the few years, the property was sold; the mill was divided building would later be erected. and sold to different companies, the houses to their The construction of the temple began in 1.908. inhabitants and the facilities and land to the public However, the ambitious project which foresaw a institutions. church with two naves, lower and upper, topped by In 1990 the Colonia Güell was declared «Heritage different towers and a 40 meters high central of Cultural Interest» by the Spanish government and would remain unfinished. In 1.914 the Güell family the protection of some of its most relevant buildings decided to stop financing the church and Gaudí was established as well as the building standards for abandoned the project. In November 1.915 the the future. bishop of Barcelona consecrated the lower nave, the only one to have been built, which made the church old mill, church, consumer cooperative and Gaudí be popularly known as the crypt. Between 1.915 and path. In 2002, Gaudí year, a new car park for visitors 1.917 a new architect closed of the nave was built as well as the organization for the visits to the totality of the Colonia. Even though the church remained unfinished, the church is a culminating point Gaudi’s works. This Gaudi’s Crypt History construction includes for the first time practically all of his architectural innovations. Following a united Nations Conference In 1972 and the work of expert groups involving IUCN, ICOMOS When Eusebi Güell tasked his good friend Antoni and UNESCO, all the proposals came together in the Convention The Crypt was declared World Heritage Site by on the Human Environment in Gaudí with the design and construction of the 1972 Stockholm, Sweden. concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, UNESCO in 2005. church he said, word by word, do as you please. He which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in Paris on 16 November 1972. LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

Gaudí’s conception of the Sagrada Familia was based In fact this verticality is a characteristic of the on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine cathedrals. building chosen by Gaudí to symbolise elevation His intention was to express Christian belief through towards God. This is achieved with the rising the architecture and the beauty of the building and pyramidal design outside, the loftiness of its naves, communicate the message of the Evangelists. He and the pinnacles on top of the towers that seem to achieved a symbiosis between form and Christian fuse with the sky. iconography, with a personal architecture generated The life and teachings of Jesus are represented on via new but thoroughly logical structures, forms and portals of the three facades. Each one represents geometries inspired by nature, with light and colour one of the three crucial events of Christ’s existence: also playing a central role. his birth: his Passion, Death and Resurrection; and his The meaning of the Sagrada Familia is communicated present and future Glory. As the sun moves across through the form and expressivity of its architecture the sky, its light further emphasises the qualities and the iconography of its . (generosity, harmony, or drama) of each facade. The various architectural elements are imbued with Gaudí planned for the light inside the Sagrada hierarchically organised Christian symbolism. Thus, Familia to be harmonious and to accentuate the each of its 18 towers has a special significance. In plasticity of the nave, but above all to be conducive the middle is the tower dedicated to Jesus Christ to introspection. and around it are four towers representing the The branching columns, as well as having a structural Gospels; the books containing the life and teachings function, reflect Gaudí’s idea that the inside of the of Jesus. The tower above the apse, crowned by a temple should be like a wood that invites prayer and star, represents his mother the Virgin Mary, while is fitting for celebrating the Eucharist. the remaining 12 towers represent the 12 Apostles, witnesses to his words and deeds. To lessen the load of the roofing and bring light into the building he designed lucarnes or skylights From wherever they are seen, once finished, these 18 in between the columns, based on hyperboloids, towers will be an extraordinary sight and provide a built using pieces of golden and green glass and tiles sense of elevation to the central tower dedicated to to reflect daylight inside. All the stained glass in the Jesus Christ. apse follows a plan of graduated tones to create an atmosphere suitable for introspection. LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

There were many helpers and followers of Gaudí no one contests his place in the pantheon of 20th who collaborated with him during his lifetime, century architects. Gaudí’s methods continue to be including Francesc Berenguer, Josep Maria Jujol, considered revolutionary, a century after he Josep Francesc Ràfols, Cèsar Martinell, Joan Bergós, devised them. Francesc Folguera, Josep Canaleta and Joan Rubió. Structure and Form After Gaudí’s death in 1926 the construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia was The starting point for the Sagrada Familia was Gothic continued by architects and craftsmen who had architecture, which Gaudí modified and improved worked with him, according to his plans and on to offer a new architecture which, due to its models. After his death another of his followers, originality, makes this temple unique. Domènec Sugrañes, took over and completed the construction of the last three towers on the Nativity The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia is a facade. Sugrañes was succeeded upon his death church with a central nave flanked by four aisles, and after the Civil War by Francesc de Paula Quintana transepts with a central nave flanked by two aisles, who worked closely with Isidre Puig i Boada and forming a Latin cross. The top of the cross is closed Lluís Bonet i Garí, especially on the construction by the semi-circular apse. The basilica also has three of the Passion facade, following the directions and monumental facades, each one representing one of documents left by Gaudí. In 1966 Puig i Boada and the three crucial events of Christ’s existence: his Bonet i Garí took over from Quintana as directors birth; his Passion, Death and Resurrection; and his of works until 1983, when Francesc Cardoner was present and future Glory. appointed to the position. The design will be completed with four domed In 1985, Jordi Bonet i Armengol was entrusted with structures, some 40 metres high, sited at each the building’s management. He brought together a corner: two sacristies on the northern side; and team comprising of Carles Buxadé, Joan Margarit, on the southern side the baptistery and the chapel Josep Gómez, Jordi Coll, Mark Burry and Jordi of the Holy Sacrament and Penitence. These four Faulí, whose main task was to design and build the constructions and the three facades will be linked by naves. In 2012 Jordi Faulí became chief architect and a wide, covered corridor, with a double wall, referred director of works on the temple. to as a cloister by Gaudí, which will insulate the central nave from noise from the street, and allow Despite not being understood by many of his circulation from one building to another without the contemporaries, Gaudí developed an architectonic need to cross the main nave. language that has made him world-famous. Today LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

Gaudí’s plan was for a group of 18 towers: 12 buildings in the world but remains a few metres will shine on the 16 lanterns of the monumental be many coloured symbolical features, such as the shorter ones on the facades (bell towers which will below the height of Montjuïc – the highest point in porch and light up the main entrance to the basilica. stained-glass windows and the inscriptions on the be 100 metres high, representing the Apostles), and the municipality of Barcelona. lights located in the capitals of the columns in the Gaudí said that colour was the expression of life, six taller ones in the centre in a pyramidal layout central nave and crossing, as well as the skylights in which is why he decided to make its presence felt in reflecting the hierarchy of their symbolism. Of these, Light and Color the vaults. the Sagrada Familia. It is to be found on the cypress the tallest will be the one above the central crossing, on the Nativity facade, on the pinnacles and various representing Jesus Christ, reaching 172.5 metres Gaudí made great use of light to endow his crowning elements of the towers and rooftops of in height. It will be surrounded by four, slimmer, architecture with expressivity and grandeur. Sunlight the temple, on the episcopal attributes of fruit, ears 135-metre-high towers representing the four glistens on the pinnacles of the towers and windows. of corn and grapes – representing the Eucharistic Evangelists and their Gospels A further tower will The rising sun lights up the portals of the Nativity symbols of bread and wine – made of trencadis of cover the apse and will represent the Virgin Mary. facade, accentuating the joy for life that is the birth Venetian glass, enamelled ceramic of several colours, of Jesus. Gaudí wanted to construct a building that would brick and stone etc. make an impact on the skyline, but also show his On the Passion facade the interplay of light and Inside, apart from the colour provided by the actual respect for the work of God, which in his opinion shadow produced by the setting sun heightens the construction materials used, such as the different should never be superseded by man: at 172.5 metres sparse and severe character of the facade’s theme, types of stone and tiles in the vaulting, there will tall, the Sagrada Familia is one of the tallest religious while the Glory facade receives the mid-day sun that PARQUE GÜELL

Origin and Creation capital of a Catalan nation being reborn, and boosted the quest for a new artistic language and idiom of When Park Güell began to be built in 1900, Barcelona urban representation. That explained the success of was a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis whose the Modernisme movement, very much in evidence economy was based on the strength of its industry at the heart of the Eixample, and the work of an and which had over half a million inhabitants. Its walls architect as singular as Antoni Gaudí. had been knocked down nearly half a century earlier and the new city, the Eixample planned by engineer Eusebi Güell’s architects: Ildefons Cerdà, had grown spectacularly from 1860 Joan Martorell and Antoni Gaudí onwards, in what was the largest 19th century city development project in Europe. The association between entrepreneur Eusebi Güell Parc Güell, “Interio del Pont de baix”, © Col·lecció and architect Antoni Gaudí began when Güell saw Ernesto Boix. Cercle Cartòfil de Catalunya a window display that Gaudí had planned for glove Ildefons Cerdà had made a thorough study of the retailer Esteve Comella at the Universal Exhibition difficulties of modern growth within the walled in Paris in 1878. That same year, Güell commissioned Barcelona and the impact of technological changes, him to make the furniture for the pantheon chapel especially the railway. The plan for his Pla d’Eixample at the Palau de Sobrellano in Comillas, a town on proposal increased the area of Barcelona tenfold, the Cantabrian coast, for his well-heeled father-in- as the result of a practical vision of the city. law, Antonio López y López. The architect of that Cerdà conceived the plan as a flexible instrument magnificent neo-gothic chapel was Joan Martorell i undertaken with a reformist spirit in order to foster Montells, at whose studio Gaudí had worked. the formation of a modern city that would be more Some years later, Joan Martorell commissioned effective, healthier and fairer. Antoni Gaudí with another project, thereby Barcelona expanded very rapidly throughout the consolidating the association between the two second half of the 19th century, with the Eixample architects. This time it was for the pavilions of the spreading out over the plain. Its central area began porter’s gatehouse and stables of Finca Güell (1883- to take shape as a large bourgeois centre, while 1887), a property that the Barcelona businessman had in Les Corts, to the west of Barcelona. Marks the 20th Anniversary of the World Heritage development also advanced along its flanks, in the 1992 Convention, the creation of the UNESCO World direction of the old manufacturing areas on the plain, Martorell, an architect enjoying great prestige at Heritage Centre, and the adoption of the cultural with a more popular and industrial nature. the time and whom Gaudí always considered to be landscapes category by the World Heritage Commit- tee, making the World Heritage Convention the first The Universal Exhibition of 1888 showed Europe his master, was a personality with a very decisive international legal instrument to recognize and protect and the world the dynamic thrust of Barcelona, influence on his future production. cultural landscapes. PARQUE GÜELL

Güell’s Major Assignments for Gaudí

In 1886 Eusebi Güell entrusted Gaudí with building his new house, the Palau Güell in Nou de la Rambla street in the old quarter of the city. Later, in 1895 Gaudí built a winery in Garraf county in collaboration with Francesc Berenguer. In 1898 he planned the church for Colònia Güell, home to the workers at the large textile factory that the industrialist owned on the outskirts of Barcelona. Modernisme and Catalan Culture And finally, in 1900, Gaudí was given the assignment of designing Park Güell. The Modernisme movement is akin to the While the salient feature of art nouveau, under its Güell understood better than any of his movements elsewhere known as Sezession, Liberty, various modalities and denominations, was a wish contemporaries the meaning of Gaudí’s architecture. or art nouveau. Unlike those movements, to create an international architectural style that The relationship between the two men was not however, Modernisme had an ambition that was not reflected the cosmopolitan fin-de-siècle culture, simply that of an artist and his patron, but a real limited to aesthetic renewal: it was the expression the Catalan movement sought a new synthesis story of friendship. of a desire for the modernisation and cultural between tradition and the most radical modernity. resurgence of Catalonia, fed by the dynamism of its In Catalonia the cosmopolitan spirit of art nouveau For many years the Güell family lived in the large capital, Barcelona.This was why Modernisme went came out as a general idea of modernity rooted in family house (now a school) that stood on the land beyond architecture and the plastic arts, also playing an ambition to project the country into the future where the development was located, while Gaudí an important role in language, literature and music. based on the foundation of absorbing its deepest lived in one of the two houses that were built there. cultural roots. In the businessman’s own lifetime, the park was already considered to be one of Barcelona’s great tourist attractions, and the large square was often let for staging Catalanist events, traditional Catalan The Global Strategy for a Balanced and Representative World UNESCO launches the Young People’s sardana dancing and other civic and social events. Heritage List is adopted by the World Heritage Committee with participation in World Heritage Preserva- 1994 the goal of achieving better regional balance and greater thematic tion and Promotion Project with the aim diversity in the World Heritage List. It encourages the nomination to develop new educational approaches to of sites in underrepresented parts of the world and especially in mobilize young people in becoming involved categories which are not yet fully represented on the List. in the protection and promotion of heritage. CASA VICENS

Casa Vicens is the first important commission In order to make the building accessible and give it Antoni Gaudí received and sowed the seeds of all his the necessary flow for visitors to get around inside, architectural work. a modern staircase has been installed in place of the original one connecting the two spaces and a lift has In 1883, Manel Vicens i Montaner, a stock and been added, stopping at all floors and the rooftop. currency broker, entrusted the young architect with designing his summer garden home in the former On the ground floor, there is an area to welcome village of Gràcia. It is his first masterpiece and one visitors and the first and second floors feature of the first buildings to kick off the Modernisme spaces displaying the permanent collection focusing movement in Catalonia and Europe. on the building and the temporary exhibits and activities that make up the museum project. The current configuration of Casa Vicens and its land is the result of many changes and transformations, The La Capell Store / Bookshop is located in the with three clearly differentiated spaces: the original basement. construction from 1883-1885 designed by Antoni At the end of the garden is the Hofmann Café. Gaudí; the expansion from 1925 designed by Joan Baptista Serra de Martínez; and the garden Accessibility programme. The building and routes surrounding the building. have been adapted with different resources to facilitate and improve visitors’ experience at Casa With its new purpose as a museum and cultural Vicens. Accessible tour for people with people with space, the renovation project has adapted the spaces reduced mobility. in the building from the 1925 extension in order to house the various services needed for the new cultural spaces and the general public. So, it hasn’t been necessary to modify any of the spaces designed by Gaudí.

The United Nations proclaims 2002 the To mark the 30th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, International Year for Cultural Heritage. UNESCO, with the help of the Italian Government, organizes in 2002 Venice the International Congress World. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Taj Mahal, India UNESCO

Mission Statement

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and systems on the state of conservation of their World Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to Heritage sites; encourage the identification, protection and • assist States Parties in safeguarding World Heritage preservation of cultural and natural heritage around sites by providing technical the world considered to be of outstanding value to assistance and professional training; humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty • provide emergency assistance for World Heritage called Convention concerning the Protection of the sites in immediate danger; World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by • support States Parties’ public awareness-building UNESCO in 1972. activities for World Heritage conservation; Cultural heritage refers to monuments, groups • encourage participation of the local population in of buildings and, sites with historical, aesthetic, the preservation of their archaeological, scientific, ethnological or cultural and natural heritage; anthropological value. Natural heritage refers • encourage international cooperation in the to outstanding physical, biological and geological conservation of our world’s cultural formations, habitats of threatened species of animals and natural heritage. and plants and areas with scientific, conservation or aesthetic value. Heritage: Shared Legacy, Common Responsibility, with the objective to assess the past 30 years of UNESCO’s World Heritage mission is to: implementation of the World Heritage Convention • encourage countries to sign the World Heritage and to strengthen partnerships for World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their conservation. natural and cultural heritage; • encourage States Parties to the Convention to The Nomination Process nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Heritage List; Convention, pledging to protect their natural and • encourage, States Parties to establish management cultural heritage, can submit nomination proposals plans and set up reporting for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Cinque Terre, Italy The Criteria for Selection (iv) be an outstanding example of a type of building, To be included on the World Heritage List, sites architectural or technological ensemble or landscape must be of outstanding universal value and meet at which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human least one out of ten selection criteria. These criteria history; are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (v) be an outstanding example of a traditional which, besides the text of the Convention, is the human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is main working tool on World Heritage. The criteria representative of a culture (or cultures), or human are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the interaction with the environment especially when evolution of the World Heritage concept itself. it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change; Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four (vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events natural criteria. or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with With the adoption of the revised Operational artistic and literary works of outstanding universal Guidelines for the Implementation of the World significance. (The Committee considers that this Heritage Convention, only one set of ten criteria criterion should preferably be used in conjunction exists. with other criteria);

Selection criteria: (vii) contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic (i) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius; importance;

(ii) , exhibit an important interchange of human (vii) be outstanding examples representing major values, over a span of time or within a cultural area stages of earth’s history, including the record of of the world, on developments in architecture or life, significant on-going geological processes in the technology, monumental arts, town planning, or development of landforms, or significant geomorphic landscape design; or physiographic features;

(iii) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony (ix) be outstanding examples representing significant to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is on-going ecological and biological processes in the living or which has disappeared;

Great Wall of China, Beijing evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, City of Bam in the Islamic Republic coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of of Iran plants and animals; The ancient Citadel and surrounding cultural (x) contain the most important and significant landscape of the Iranian city of Bam, where natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological 26,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake of diversity, including those containing threatened December 2003, was simultaneously inscribed on species of outstanding universal value from the point UNESCO’s World Heritage List and on the List of view of science or conservation. of World Heritage in Danger in 2004. Important The protection, management, authenticity international efforts are mobilized to salvage the and integrity of properties are also important cultural heritage of this devastated city. considerations. Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan Since 1992 significant interactions between people and the natural environment have been recognized This cultural landscape was inscribed on the List of as cultural landscapes. World Heritage in Danger in 2003 simultaneously with its inscription on the World Heritage List. List of the World Heritage Sites The property is in a fragile state of conservation in Danger considering that it has suffered from abandonment, military action and dynamite explosions. Parts of Armed conflict and war, earthquakes and other the site are inaccessible due to the presence of natural disasters, pollution, poaching, uncontrolled antipersonnel mines. UNESCO, at the request of the urbanization and unchecked tourist development Afghan Government, coordinates all international pose major problems to World Heritage sites. These efforts to safeguard and enhance Afghanistan’s can threaten the very characteristics for which a site cultural heritage, notably in Bamiyan. was originally inscribed on the World Heritage List. Dangers can be ‘ascertained’, referring to specific Kathmandu Valley in Nepal and proven imminent threats, or ‘potential’, when a property is faced with threats which could have The exceptional urban and architectural heritage of negative effects on its World Heritage values. Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur has been severely Some illustrative cases of sites inscribed on the List affected by uncontrolled urban development. The of World Heritage in Danger: property ,is composed of seven Monument Zones, which, since the time of inscription in 1979, have

Grand Canyon, Arizona; Chichen Itza, Mexico unfortunately been seriously altered, resulting in Zabid was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in a general loss of authenticity and integrity of the Danger. UNESCO is helping the local authorities to property as a whole. For these reasons the site was develop an urban conservation plan and to adopt a inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger strategic approach for the preservation of this World in 2003. UNESCO is working with the Nepalese Heritage site. authorities to help them develop a long-term management plan to conserve the remaining World Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras Heritage values of the property and adopt corrective measures to address illegal building activities. Commercial and agricultural intrusions into the site threaten the World Heritage values for which it had Walled City of Baku in Azerbaijan been inscribed in 1982. The advancing agricultural frontier at the west side of the reserve, pushed Representing an outstanding and, rare example by small farmers and cattle ranchers, is already of medieval architecture at ‘the crossroad of the reducing the Reserve’s forest area. The southern and many different cultures in the region, the Walled western zones of the Reserve are subject to massive City of Baku sustained significant damage during extraction of precious wood such as the caoba. The the earthquake of November 2000 and has been site was thus inscribed on the List of World Heritage increasingly affected by the pressure of urban in Danger in 1996. An eleven-point corrective action development, the absence of conservation policies plan has been elaborated and the management plan and by questionable restoration efforts. For these for Rio Platano is being carried out with a World reasons it was inscribed on the List of World Heritage Heritage Fund contribution. in Danger in 2003. Since then, UNESCO has been working with the State Party and the Advisory Bodies National Parks of Garamba, Kahuzi-Biega, to set up a plan of action to address the conservation Salonga, Virunga and the Okapi wildlife issues as well as with stakeholders to coordinate the Reserve in theDemocratic Republic of the implementation of safeguarding measures. Congo

Historic Town of Zabid in Yemen Since 1994, all five World Heritage sites of the DRC were inscribed on the List of World Heritage The outstanding archaeological and historical in Danger as a result of the impact of the war heritage of Zabid has seriously deteriorated in and civil conflicts in the Great Lakes region. In recent years. Indeed, 40% of its original houses have 1999, an international safeguarding campaign was been replaced by concrete buildings. In 2000f at launched by UNESCO together with a number of the request of the State Party, the Historic Town of international conservation NGOs to protect the

Venice, Italy habitat of endangered species such as the mountain Giza Pyramids in Egypt gorilla and the northern white rhino. This resulted in a 4-year US$3.5 million emergency programme These pyramids were threatened in 1995 by a to save the five sites, funded by the United Nations highway project near Cairo which would have Foundation and the Government of Belgium. In seriously damaged the values of this archaeological 2004, international, donors, non-governmental site. Negotiations with the Egyptian Government organizations and the governments of Belgium and resulted in a number of alternative solutions which Japan pledged an additional US$50 million to help the replaced the disputed project. Democratic Republic of the Congo rehabilitate these World Heritage parks. Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal

Success Stories This Park provides refuge for about 400 greater one-horned rhinoceros characteristic of South The World Heritage Convention is not only ‘words Asia. The World Heritage Committee, in the early on paper’ but is above all a useful instrument for 1990s, questioned the findings of the environmental concrete action in preserving threatened sites and impact assessment of the proposed Rapti River endangered species. By recognizing the outstanding Diversion Project. The Asian Development Bank and universal value of a site, States Parties commit to the Government of Nepal revised the assessment its preservation and strive to find solutions for it and found that the River Diversion project would protection. threaten riparian habitats critical to the rhino inside If a site is inscribed on the List of World Heritage Royal Chitwan. The project was thus abandoned and this World Heritage site was saved for the benefit of in Danger, the World Heritage Committee can take future generations. immediate action to address the situation and this has led to many successful restorations. The World Heritage Convention is also a very powerful tool Archaeological Site of Delphi in Greece to rally international attention and actions through international safeguarding campaigns. At the time of its nomination in 1987, plans were underway to build an aluminium plant nearby the site. The Greek Government was invited to find another FINDING SOLUTIONS location for the plant, which it did, and Delphi took Often, the World Heritage Committee and the States its rightful place on the World Heritage List. Parties, with the assistance of UNESCO experts and other partners, find solutions before a given situation deteriorates to an extent that would damage the site. Alhambra, Granda, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino in Mexico Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest conservation and restoration activities coordinated in Kenya Successful restorations by UNESCO were successful, removed the site from In 1999, THE WORLD HERITAGE community the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2004. campaigned against a plan for enlarging an existing The nomination of this site was first referred back Angkor in Cambodia salt factory to commercial scale in Laguna to the State Party on the basis of findings during the Old ‘City of Dubrovnik in Croatia San Ignacio in El Vizciano Bay, the last pristine evaluation that suggested there were serious threats One of the most important archaeological sites in reproduction lagoon for the Pacific grey whale. to the site, primarily illegal logging and marijuana South-East Asia, Angkor Archaeological Park contains The ‘pearl of the Adriatic’, dotted with beautiful cultivation inside the Park. The State Party responded the magnificent remains of the different capitals of Gothic, and buildings had The World Heritage Committee forewarned the with an action plan which included provision of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. withstood the passage of centuries and survived Mexican Government of the threats posed to the additional vehicles, increased patrols, community In 1993, UNESCO embarked upon an ambitious several earthquakes. In November and December marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the grey whales awareness projects, training of forest guards and plan to safeguard and develop the historical site 1991, when seriously damaged by artillery fire, as key species as well as the overall integrity of this a review of the policy affecting the adjacent forest carried out by the Division of Cultural Heritage in the city was immediately included on the List of World Heritage site by locating saltworks inside the reserve. Based on these assurances, the Committee close cooperation with the World Heritage Centre. World Heritage in Danger. with UNESCO providing Sanctuary. As a result, the Mexican Government inscribed the site in 1997. Illicit excavation, pillaging of archaeological sites technical advice and financial assistance, the Croatian refused permission for the saltworks in March 2000. and landmines were the main problems. The World Government restored the facades of the Franciscan Today, some threats still remain but there has been Heritage Committee, having noted that these threats and Dominican cloisters, repaired roofs and rebuilt significant progress in the management of the site. to the site no longer existed and that the numerous . As a result, in December 1998, it became possible to remove the city from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland

This property was inscribed in 1978 as one of the first twelve World Heritage sites. This great mine has been actively worked since the 13th century. Its 300 kilometres of galleries contain famous works of art with altars and statues sculpted in salt, all of which were seriously threatened by humidity due to the introduction of artificial ventilation at the end of the nineteenth century. The site was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1989. During nine years of joint efforts by both Poland and the international community, an efficient dehumidifying system was installed, and the Committee, at its session in December 1998, had the satisfaction of removing the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA IN THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

This huge crater with the largest concentration of wild animals in the world was listed as an endangered site in 1984 because of the overall deterioration of the site due to the lack of management. By 1989, thanks to continuous monitoring and technical cooperation projects, the situation had improved and the site was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Prague, Czech Republic

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