The Palau De La Musica Catalana

Visiting the Continent is always an exciting experience. There are sights too numerous to count that capture our interest and imagination. It's not just the old building and fortresses, but the cultural artifacts that dot the landscape. In Spain, one can find any number of representative buildings, each with its own character, marking a point of history of the host. Examples include the Prado Museum in Madrid, the Alhambra of Granada, the Alcazar in Toledo, the Sagrada Familia Catedral in Barcelona, and the Maria Sofia Museum in Madrid. In Barcelona, architects were unleashed from the constraints of the past and they "built" a tradition of innovation, imagination, singularity, and a merging of concepts and styles that gave a unique look to their city.
Antonio Gaudi, an architect of the late 19th century, is perhaps the most well known of these innovators. His style is recognizable for its unique character and appearance. His masterwork, the Sagrada Familia Catedral, is nearing completion after 120 years and several wars.
One of his contemporaries was LLuis Domenech I Montaner. Born in 1850, he lived a long, fruitful life, designing buildings of remarkable style and influence. A true professional, he studied abroad, seeking the roots of his profession in Germany, France, and Italy. When only 28 years old, he published an article"In search of a national style". In it, he took a stand against the eclectic mix of styles currently in vogue. He asked that a new style e born that addressed the industrial and cultural demands of the time. He was a tireless worker, heading many organizations, writing articles, and he was active in politics, all while producing a body of modernist work. Of all his work, the new, specifically Catalan style, is the Palau. He was awarded a prize by the barcelona City Council in 1909 for his design of this magnificent building, dedicated to the music and culture of Catalanya.
The experience of walking into the Palau is akin to walking into a fantasy, a dream, a construct of wild imagination unbounded. No single feature grabs your eye because everywhere one looks is a captivating and unique feature: sculpture, mosaic, stained glass, iron work, stone and brick work, and lighting fixtures.
More later, including a description of interior finishes