Casa Batlló, by Antoni Gaudí, is one of the defining works of Catalan Modernisme. On Passeig de Gràcia, its flowing façade of ceramic and glass, mask-like balconies and roof are often read as the back of a dragon. Inside, light filters through the blue courtyard, while curved forms shape the staircases, doors and ceilings. The sea and the natural world run through the details. It has the feel of a small story in stone, glass and light, where Gaudí lets the imagination take its course.

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References to Sant Jordi run throughout: the rooftop is often read as a dragon’s back, with the cross interpreted as its sword. On 23 April, the façade is dressed for Sant Jordi, the Day of the Book and the Rose in Catalonia.
The building stands in the “Manzana de la Discordia” (Block of Discord), one of the best-known stretches of Modernisme in Barcelona.
In the early morning light, the mosaics, glass and ceramic surfaces catch the sun, giving the façade a quiet sense of movement.
It’s worth pausing in the blue inner courtyard and looking up to the rooftop, where the design comes into its own.