Unique buildings
The Gran Teatre del Liceu was built in 1847 and is a unique cultural facility in Barcelona and one of Europe"s leading opera houses. Located on the Rambla, every year it hosts major opera and ballet productions and symphony concerts. The building was destroyed by fire in 1994 and reopened in 1999 after a magnificent reconstruction.
Strangely enough, the Palau de la Música Catalana, the so-called "building that epitomises Catalan art nouveau" wasn"t designed by Gaudí, but by his contemporary
Lluís Domènech i Montaner (Barcelona, 1850-1923). This concert hall in Barcelona, which is a designated
UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an artistic landmark of outstanding beauty and a highly prestigious music venue.
Antònia, the biggest of the six bells that crown the octagonal belfry of the church of Santa Maria del Pi can be heard ringing out all around Barcelona"s Gothic Quarter. We can now take a closer look at the church of Santa Maria, which nestles between the picturesque squares, the Plaça del Pi and Plaça Sant Josep Oriol.
The Palau Güell was designed by the young Gaudí and is a wonderful blend of medieval opulence and the architect"s unique exuberant style. Completed in 1890, the building was the private residence of Gaudí"s patron, Count Güell. The Palau Güell is a designated
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The colour and fantasy of the Casa Batlló captivates passers-by on the Passeig de Gràcia. Standing halfway up this elegant boulevard and in a strongly contrasting style to the neighbouring houses, the Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera, Gaudí"s building reveals the splendour of an architect who was able to work on this project with total creative freedom, Antoni Gaudí.
