Spain · UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Series, 5th issue, works by Antonio Gaudi

Park Güell was created between 1900 and 1914 on what was then the outskirts of Barcelona. Its commissioner was the entrepreneur and patron Eusebi Güell, who planned a private residential development for wealthy families there together with Antoni Gaudí. The concept was based on the English garden city idea: houses were to be combined with green spaces, communal areas and a location set apart from the city centre. However, the project attracted hardly any buyers and was not realized as planned. The city of Barcelona later acquired the site; in 1926, it was opened as a public park.

Antoni Gaudí lived from 1852 to 1926 and was a representative of Catalan Modernisme. His architecture combines structural experimentation with forms inspired by plants, animals and geological structures. In Park Güell, he adapted paths, viaducts and retaining walls to the hilly terrain. Colonnades, curved surfaces and elements clad with ceramic fragments characterize the site. This mosaic technique, known as “Trencadís”, uses irregular pieces of tiles, crockery and ceramics.

The two buildings at the main entrance were intended as the gatekeeper’s house and administrative building for the originally planned settlement. Behind the entrance area, a grand staircase leads to the colonnade, which was conceived as the market square of the residential development. Above it is a large square with a wave-shaped bench. Gaudí also combined the design with technical functions, including the drainage and collection of rainwater.

The park is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Works of Antoni Gaudí” („Werke von Antoni Gaudí“). This was established in 1984 and includes several buildings by the architect in and around Barcelona. Since 2010, Spain has issued a 2-euro commemorative coin annually dedicated to its UNESCO World Heritage sites. The selection of the park in 2014 was part of this ongoing coin series and was not linked to a specific anniversary of the site.