So Guadi didn't write much about his techniques or ideas about architecture and these are a collection of sayings attributed to him by his students. Actually quite a nice lot of illustrations to back-up the bon mots of the master. I remember, the first time that I saw Guell Park and then the Sagrada Familia (in about 1978) that I was really blown away. The work was so sculptural .....all of it. And his wild use of ceramics! Whole plates simply broken and then set into the cement in Guell Park. And his familiarity and clever use of cast and wrought iron. I guess it helped coming from Barcelona where there were great traditions in ironworking and in stone working. I am still enthralled by the very flat Catalan arch. How can they get this thing to hold itself up...let alone a number of levels of building above it. (Though I did notice in one of the pictures that the multi compound vaulted roof of his workshop at the Sagrada Familia has suffered a few cracks over the years).
This particular book......"Gaudi by Gaudi" (as I translate it) is a multi language (Spanish, English German) small book...probably directed at tourists. I have numerous other books about Architecto Gaudi but this one packs a lot into a small space and has some lovely photographs and illustrations. I never knew, for example, that the Nativity facade of the Sagrada Familiar was meant to be coloured; red blue and green. (It doesn't look all that great to me in the model).
It even has a few cartoons of Gaudi. He was clearly quite a strange guy. Intensely religious.....rather right wing religious as I recall and this may explain the paucity of materials about the overall concept of the Sagrada Familia, because the socialists ....at some point during the Spanish Civil war broke up his models and destroyed his plans. No wonder they lost against Franco. George Orwell, who was there with the International Brigade found there was more fighting between factions on the Republican side than against Franco's troops. A real pity because I remember coming away from the Sagrada familia, disappointed and confused because I couldn't see what it was meant to look like eventually. (I think they had one sketch by Gaudi) but in the construction over the last 50 years, a lot of progress has been made and it's possible to even see an end in sight for the finalisation of the cathedral. It is certainly a wonderful piece of work.
A small book...but it packs a punch. I give it four stars. ( )