Fotos cortesía de Casa Batlló

After over a century, Casa Batlló has completed one of its most ambitious restoration works: the full recuperation of its rear facade and the private courtyard on the main floor, where the Batlló family resided. This intervention has brought back Antoni Gaudí’s original design of 1906, after decades of alterations and significant losses since 1915, including the elimination of planters and a central pergola. Previous restorations were partial; this was the firsrt comprehensive one.

The project, with an investment of 3.5 million euros, involved a large team of local artisans, who recovered the original splendor of all the materials: ceramics, glass, wrought iron, wood, and stucco. The restoration was carried out both on the site and in specialized workshops, preserving traditional techniques and upholding craftsmanship as a living heritage. The process included exhaustive research, stratographic analyses, 3D scanning, and other digital techniques, all in a bid to be faithful to the original design.

Stuccoes, ceramic trencadís, balconies, railings, and pavements were restored on the facades, In the courtyard, lost elements were reproduced, including the planters and the parabolic reed pergola, not to mention the replication of 85,000 Nolla mosaic pieces and the original walls.

Among the major discoveries made was that of the facade’s original colors, which were very different from those of the layer visible until now, and that of a balcony-supporting system of arched vaults, with a spiral structure, that would have been highly innovative in its day. This restoration coincides with the 20th anniversary of Casa Batlló’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and according to its director, Gary Gautier, it is a gift to Barcelona and the world, besides a unique opportunity to continue unveiling Gaudí’s genius.

Casa Batlló: Gaudí's original design comes to light a century later