Antoni Gaudi

Wednesday 7 October 2020

Hugh Ellwood

In order to reduce the risk of cross-infection we have temporarily suspended our printed lecture notes leaflets and have replaced them with online leaflets, which you can download/print. The leaflet on Gaudi is available here

This lecture will also be made available via Zoom

Our President Hugh Ellwood kicks off the new 2020-2021 season with a lecture on Gaudi. Hugh studied philosophy in Rome, followed by a degree in architecture at the University of Manchester. Previously he was an architect partner with Building Design Partnership, the largest multi-discipline design organisation in the UK, and was for some years an external examiner in architecture at the University of Manchester. For several years he was a visiting lecturer in the history of art and architecture at the University of Central Lancashire. Hugh is a watercolourist, and has also lectured extensively to various societies and organisations, including cruises, on art and architecture.

In the city of Barcelona at the end of the 19th century an astonishing genius produced forms of architecture unique to Catalonia. Widely regarded in Barcelona Gaudi was known to the rest of the world for his design of the cathedral of La Sagrada Familia.  Qualifying as an architect in 1875, he followed two parallel careers, gradually developing his ideas throughout his life.  He built a succession of town houses and estates for a succession of wealthy industrialists which continued until the death of his main patron and friend, Guell, in 1918.  He took over the design of the Sagrada Familia cathedral and worked on this until his death in 1926.  His designs covered everything from the building to the last detail of furniture and his intuitive feeling for structure produced some astonishing work.

 

Caption: Detail of the Casa Batllo by Antionio Gaudi. Watercolour by Hugh Ellwood