The Park Güell is a public park system composed of
gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill. Carmel Hill belongs
to the mountain range of Collserola — the Parc del Carmel is located on the
northern face. Park Güell is located in La Salut, a neighborhood in the Gràcia
district of Barcelona. With urbanization in mind, Eusebi Güell assigned the
design of the park to Antoni Gaudí. The park was built between 1900 and 1914
and was officially opened as a public park in 1926.
Park Güell is the reflection of Gaudí’s artistic
plenitude, which belongs to his naturalist phase (first decade of the 20th
century). During this period, the architect perfected his personal style
through inspiration from organic shapes. He put into practice a series of new
structural solutions rooted in the analysis of geometry. To that, the Catalan
artist adds creative liberty and an imaginative, ornamental creation. Starting
from a sort of baroquism, his works acquire a structural richness of forms and
volumes, free of the rational rigidity or any sort of classic premisses. In the
design of Park Güell, Gaudí unleashed all his architectonic genius and put to
practice much of his innovative structural solutions that would become the
symbol of his organic style and that would culminate in the creation of the
Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family (Catalan: Sagrada Familia).
Güell and Gaudí conceived this park, situated within a
natural park. They imagined an organized grouping of high-quality homes, decked
out with all the latest technological advancements to ensure maximum comfort,
finished off with an artistic touch. They also envisioned a community strongly
influenced by symbolism, since, in the common elements of the park, they were
trying to synthesize many of the political and religious ideals shared by
patron and architect: therefore there are noticeable concepts originating from
political Catalanism - especially in the entrance stairway where the Catalonian
countries are represented - and from Catholicism - the Monumento al Calvario,
originally designed to be a chapel. The mythological elements are so important:
apparently Güell and Gaudí's conception of the park was also inspired by the
Temple of Apollo of Delphi.
On the other hand, many experts have tried to link the
park to various symbols because of the complex iconography that Gaudí applied
to the urban project. Such references go from political vindication to
religious exaltation, passing through mythology, history and philosophy.
Specifically, many studies claim to see references to Freemasonry, despite the deep
religious beliefs of both Gaudí and Count Güell. These references have not been
proven in the historiography of the modern architect. The multiplicity of
symbols found in the Park Güell is, as previously mentioned, associated to
political and religious signs, with a touch of mystery according to the
preferences of that time for enigmas and puzzles.
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