Review: Casa Batlló

Zoom out. What’s this place all about?
It’s easy to see why Casa Batlló has been likened to Claude Monet’s Water Lilies: covered in shards of stained glass, the façade—fresh from a three-month restorative facelift in 2019—sometimes appears blue, then green, then shimmering like the glassy layer of a lake. Even in a city stuffed with beautiful buildings, Casa Batlló (pronounced ‘Casa Bat-yo’) feels otherworldly. Textile industrialist Josep Batlló commissioned Gaudí to design this home after seeing what Gaudí had done with Park Güell—his brief was to create a house style that none of Batlló’s other family members would have. The result is both grand and intimate—and, per the instructions, unique.

What should we expect to see?
You come for the architecture—or, rather, to get your head around the architecture. Influenced by nature, Casa Batlló has no straight lines (because they don’t exist in nature, said Gaudí), stone pillars that contort like animal bones, and a tall, ocean-blue stairwell that’s very Jules Verne.

While the pandemic paused visitors, it did not pause innovation – spurring two new augmented reality exhibits. Inside the Gaudí Dome, 1000 screens and 38 projectors animate the architect’s inspiration process. While the LED-walled Gaudí Cube immortalizes his imagination. Digital art pioneer, Refik Anadol, used machine learning to unpick the patterns running through Gaudí’s out-there constructions and then turned them into an audiovisual experience. It’s vivid, kaleidoscopic stuff - and very smart. 

What did you make of the crowd?
The inside is snug. While you don’t need to book tickets as far in advance as you do for La Sagrada Família, do book a day ahead (it saves you the street-clogging queue outside), and aim for an early slot before it reaches its peak traffic levels.

Any guided tours worth trying?
It’s not just the house that scoffs at tradition; the slick audio guide is actually a virtual reality tablet —point it at certain places (a bare wall, say) and animations will show the house’s original design. The guide’s content is also available in a text version. 

Is the café worth a stop, or should we just plan on going elsewhere?
Go to the café in the building next door, Casa Amatller. Designed by fellow Modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, if this building was located anywhere other than next to Casa Batlló, it would be a star attraction. Here, it’s overshadowed by its showier neighbor, but do walk in (it’s free). There’s an excellent chocolate shop, plus Faborit Café with a leafy outdoor terrace, including some swing seats.

Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?
In an hour (90 minutes, tops) you can devour all of the architecture, then be ready to start stomach-based devouring (the juices are excellent) in Casa Amatller next door.

Just passing by? The newly expanded gift shop, Simbòlic, has its own entrance – pop in for quality souvenirs, such as tableware and games for kids.