Casa Batlló Barcelona

Casa Batlló is one of Antoni Gaudí's masterpieces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, the greatest exponent of modernism and an icon of Barcelona. With more than 1.5 million visitors a year, Casa Batlló offers innovative cultural experiences with one goal: to make people happy through art.

Its new immersive cultural visit, launched in 2021 and awarded 37 international prizes, is a pioneering museographic proposal with numerous technological innovations that amplify the magic of Gaudí, such as immersive rooms, Augmented Reality content and audiovisual installations.

In addition, the monument has intensified its restoration since 2018, rehabilitating iconic spaces such as the main façade, the halls, the terrace and the patios, investing more than 20 million euros in these interventions.

Casa Batlló is committed to sustainable development, and since 2019 it has had the Biosphere seal, an internationally recognized sustainability certification that endorses good practices related to the 2030 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

In this area, Casa Batlló's social commitment to the labour inclusion of neurodivergent people (autism, dyspraxia, ADHD, etc.) stands out, being the first World Heritage Site to have a team of 100 neurodivergent people to assist visitors.

History of Casa Batlló

Since 1860, with the approval of the Cerdà Plan, Passeig de Gracia has become the main axis of Barcelona. During the 19th century it was established as a pedestrian and horse-drawn carriage promenade, and in the 20th century it became a key avenue for automobiles.

Originally built in 1877 by Emili Sala i Cortés, Gaudí's architecture teacher, the building was located in a Barcelona that still had no electricity. In 1903, Josep Batlló i Casanovas, a prominent textile industrialist, acquired the building to renovate it.

With complete creative freedom, Antoni Gaudí transformed the building between 1904 and 1906, preventing its demolition. He renovated the façade, redistributed the interiors, enlarged the light well and created a unique work of art with great functionality. The work presents elements that some consider precursors of the architectural avant-garde of the 20th century.

In the 1950s, Casa Batlló ceased to belong to the Batlló family and became the home of several companies. In the 1990s, the current owners, the Bernat family, completely restored the building.

Photos: Sergi Boixader