david cardelús captures bold hues and lively character of gaudí's casa vicens

photographer david cardelús has been tasked with capturing architect antoni gaudí’s casa vicens. one of the catalan architect’s first works, casa vicens was built in 1883 in barcelona, spain, and was recently restored in 2017 to become a museum. previously in 2005, it was named a UNESCO world heritage site.

all images © david cardelús

casa vicens was a former summer residence and is located at 20-26, carolines street, in barcelona’s gràcia district

the mission of casa vicens as a new museum is to restore the building as close as gaudí conceived it and present it as a canon in barcelona’s architecture. the house plays an essential role in history because of its defining architectural language and its contribution to the development of modernism in the city.

red and other warm hues dominate in casa vicens’ facade along with colored tiles, forged balconies and ornamental details

in order to implement this vision, casa vicens commissioned cardelús to photograph the building’s lively character as part of the museum’s communication strategy. this series of images aims to position the building in the digital environment and provide a refreshing perspective to the perception of it as a museum and UNESCO world heritage site.

the colored tiles frieze at the top of casa vicens’ facade

cardelús tackled the photography by starting from gaudí’s essence present in the architecture. he photographed the building’s constructive, decorative and symbolic elements and then moved to its bare components – those more simple and graphic. the photographer paid special attention to expose and enhance the building’s vivid color palette attempting to make it stand out in a dense and monochrome urban environment.

full elevation of casa vicens’ facade frieze facing carolines street with chimney and cupola in green and white ceramic tiles.

cardelús is a photographer specializing in architecture and has already photographed other gaudí works on assignment such as casa batlló, the gaudí crypt, the güell palace and el capricho de comillas.

the cupola at casa vicens’ rooftop in green and white ceramic tiles resembling a persian minaret.

casa vicens’ covered porch with marble fountain and shutters looking at the house garden.

the ornamental details in the covered porch, made of sgrafitto and ceramic, are intended to create a connection between the exterior nature and the interior of the house

first floor sitting room at casa vicens with trompe-l’oeil depicting flying birds and climbing plants

detail of the smoking room at casa vicens’ main floor with plaster decoration in gold and blue

the smoking room at casa vicens is influenced by gaudi’s investigations on islamic architecture at the time

casa vicens was listed as one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites in 2005

ornamental details at casa vicens’ carolines street facade showing the vivid color palette

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom