Antoni Gaudí

Praise for "The Complete Works": 'In light of the growing and general recognition of Gaudi's work, 150 years after his birth, I ponder the reason for this phenomenon, which is so unusual in the field of architecture. Gaudi did not become a success as a result of the quantity of works completed, since he only directed about 20 important projects. Nor is his success due to the wide geographic diffusion of his buildings, since the majority of them are concentrated in the city of Barcelona. Neither is the architect's fame due to the fact that he was a great promoter of his work and character, since he isolated himself from everything that could disturb his work. Nor were his proposals accepted with enthusiasm by his contemporaries who, in general, were hostile towards them.Gaudi's secret was probably knowing how to tackle architectural creation in a distinct manner, without artistic or technical prejudices. His knowledge of the trades and the procedures of construction permitted him to stand out in his era. He was a virile and overwhelming individual, capable of breaking tradition, with fidelity to historic styles and the determination to please the euphoric bourgeoisie of the 1900s. He replanted the essence of architecture and reconsidered tastes and materials, procedures, techniques, systems of calculation, geometric repertoires etc. Gaudi was a visionary; even though there are people who dare to state it, basing their argument on a hypothetical esotericism of the system of symbols that he used. Gaudi was one of the most illustrious minds in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century' - Excerpt from the introduction by Daniel Giralt-Miracle, General commissioner of the International Year of Gaudi.