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The Church of Colònia Güell (, ) is an unfinished work by
Antoni Gaudí Antoni Gaudí i Cornet ( , ; ; 25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Catalans, Catalan architect and designer from Spain, widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan ''Modernisme''. Gaudí's works have a style, with most located in Barc ...
. It was built as a place of worship for the people on a hillside in a manufacturing area in Santa Coloma de Cervelló, near
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
(
Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
). Colònia Güell was the brainchild of Count Eusebi de Güell; who enlisted the help of architect Antoni Gaudí in 1898. However, work was not started until 1908, 10 years after commission. The plan for the building consisted of constructing two naves, an upper and a lower, two towers, and one forty-meter-high central dome. In 1914, the Güell family halted construction due to the death of Count Güell. At the time, the lower nave was almost complete so between the years of 1915 and 1917, it was completed and readied for use. The Church is one of the seven properties Gaudí built near Barcelona that are
Unesco World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
. Collectively, these sites are known as th
Works of Antoni Gaudí
and show his "exceptional creative contribution to the development of architecture and building technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."


History

At the age of 28, the Church of Colònia Güell was one of several commissions Gaudí received from Count Güell in the suburb of Santa Coloma de Cervelló.


Planning

To start the designing process of the church, Gaudí used his unique process of gravity and rope, known as a funicular system. As seen in the planning of La Sagrada Família, Gaudí hung hemp ropes attached to lead-filled sacks from the ceiling. By doing this, it allowed him to reproduce the curves of the church at a 1:10 scale. Gaudí also used canvas sheets to imitate the vaults and walls of the structure. By weighing down the ropes with lead-filled sacks, it allowed him to see the loads that would be exerted on the actual structure. To turn this hanging structure into his actual design, Gaudí photographed his model, flipped the image, and traced over it while adding some ornament and design. All that remains of the model for Church of Colònia Güell is an image in a book written by architect Josep Francesc Ràfols i Fontanals. This method of planning led to the development of a new architectural vocabulary, such as hyperbolic paraboloids and hyperboloids, which are prominent elements in many of Gaudi's designs.


The Crypt

The crypt portion of the church, constructed from 1908 to 1915, was the only segment of the church that was fully completed. It was built partially below ground, due to being on a hillside, and it was designed so that it would feel like it belonged in the surrounding nature. There are pillars on the exterior of the crypt, made of many bricks, while others were made of a solid block of stone. The roof of the structure has a geometric shape that is morphed by the connecting of the various pillars. The crypt is very dimly lit, due to it being built partially underground since the structure is on a hillside. There are however, 22 lead stained glass windows in the crypt, to let in some colorful lighting.


The Chapel

Although it remains unfinished, the chapel is a very important aspect of the church. The designs of the chapel is similar to that of the Sagrada Familia. This is a common theme seen throughout the church, since Gaudí used it in preparation for the building of the Sagrada Familia. He tested many of his ideas and theories here, since Güell gave him the liberty of being as creative as possible. The shape of the worship area was planned in extensive detail, right down to the pews. All of the furniture in the Church was designed by Gaudí himself, and have been preserved. Very few pieces of his furniture have been saved, though some examples are still seen in the Sagrada Familia and private homes.


Recent history

In 2000, local architects set about repairing the crypt. This took away aspects of the unfinished nature of the buildings. However, it did present a more tourist-friendly structure, and now visitors can stand on the roof, which would have been the church floor.


Gallery

Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 12.jpg, Exterior Exterior i entrada a la Cripta de la Colònia Güell 05.JPG, Windows and bell tower Exterior of Cripta de la Colònia Güell 10.jpg, Subportico of the entrance to the crypt Exterior i entrada a la Cripta de la Colònia Güell 02.JPG, Portico Exterior of Cripta de la Colònia Güell 09.jpg, Entrance lintel with ceramic decoration representing the four cardinal virtues Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 15.jpg, Crosses on the portico ceiling Interior of Cripta de la Colònia Güell 10.jpg, Interior of the crypt Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 7.jpg, Stained glass window with colored glass in the shape of a butterfly wing Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 5.jpg, Inclined basalt column from Castellfollit de la Roca Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 2.jpg, Central altar Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Santa Coloma de Cervelló) - 35.jpg, Altar dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat Cripta de la Colònia Güell 012.jpg, Altar dedicated to the Holy Family Benches of Cripta de la Colònia Güell.jpg, Benches with kneeler designed by Gaudí


See also

*
List of Gaudí buildings Antoni Gaudí was an architect from Catalonia, Spain, who belonged to the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) movement. He was famous for his unique style and highly individualistic designs. As an architecture student at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arq ...


References


External links


Works of Antoni Gaudí
UNESCO Collection on Google Arts and Culture
Colonia Güell Church virtual visitVisiting Colonia Güell

The Architecture of the Crypt at Colonia Güell
*casabatllo.es
UNESCO WHC
{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Of Colonia Guell Antoni Gaudí buildings Churches in Catalonia World Heritage Sites in Catalonia Modernisme architecture in Catalonia Colonia