Restoration rejuvenates iconic Gaudi house Casa Batllo in Barcelona
BARCELONA – Barcelona's Unesco-listed Casa Batllo, a modernist architectural masterpiece by Sagrada Familia designer Antoni Gaudi, unveiled a multi-million-euro restoration on June 19 that brings its rear facade and courtyard back to life.
Previous refurbishments, ownership changes and the turbulent period marked by Spain's civil war of 1936 to 1939 had taken their toll on the unique building completed in 1906.
A team of architects, historians and artisans spent more than a year repairing the bright mosaics and restoring the original cream-coloured hue to the blackened curvy balcony bars.
The result is 'the most similar to 1906 that we have been able to achieve with today's technology', chief architect Xavier Villanueva, who is a lso an official in charge of the works, told AFP.
Tourists visit the Casa Batllo by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
In the courtyard, the pergola replicates a parabola shape, and more than 85,000 pieces make up the paving, 'hand made one by one, as it was originally', he said.
The painstaking task meant the team 'carried out a lot of analyses in several university laboratories, many prospections – we have lots of documentary information', he added.
The restoration cost 3.5 million euros (S$5.2 million), according to Casa Batllo, which is in a fashionable neighbourhood of Barcelona that was frequented by the city's bourgeoisie and wealthy industrialists in the early 20th century.
A Unesco-listed site since 2005, Casa Batllo welcomed 1.9 million visitors in 2024, making it one of the most popular attractions in a city known as a global tourism magnet. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People cool themselves with water while visiting the Acropolis. ATHENS - Greece's top archaeological monument, the Acropolis, was partially shut on July 8 as part of emergency measures to protect visitors and workers around the country during a four-day heatwave. The Greek culture ministry said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5pm (10pm Singapore time) 'for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures.' The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began on July 6 is the second to grip Greece since late June. Temperatures are expected to reach 42 deg C on July 8, with a maximum of 38 deg C in Athens. Similar temperatures are expected on July 9. To protect outdoor workers, the labour ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12pm to 5pm in various parts of the country, including several islands. The stoppage mainly affects construction work and delivery riders. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Singapore AI cannot supplant learning, it must enable it: Desmond Lee Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Opinion Here's what happened after some US schools started locking up students' phones 'Days with a heatwave make my job more difficult,' cycle-riding courier Michalis Keskinidis told AFP. 'We drink a lot of water to protect ourselves from the heat, combined with electrolytes, and take breaks whenever possible,' the 43-year-old said. The 2,500-year-old Acropolis, built on a rock overlooking the capital that offers little shade, draws tens of thousands of visitors daily. It recorded some 4.5 million visitors in 2024, an increase of over 15 per cent compared to 2023. Officials had been forced to order similar shutdowns in the past two years in heatwave conditions. Risk of fire, storms The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula. Greece's fire department has been dealing with up to 50 fires daily, the head of the Greek fire service officers' union Constantinos Tsigkas told state TV ERT. Elsewhere, Serbia's hydrometeorological service RMHZ warned that weather conditions could fuel more fires, after 620 fires were recorded July 7. But there are also thunderstorms expected in Serbia's northern Vojvodina region, as well as in western and central areas. RHMZ has also warned of the possibility of hail and hurricane-force gusts of wind. Croatia has already felt the impact of storms since July 7, with several of the country's regions affected. Two people were injured and hospitalised in Vinkovci after a storm knocked down a power line on a family house near the eastern town, police said. The authorities said they had taken dozens of calls over wind-related emergencies including trees blocking roads, damaged roofs and power failures. On July 8, heavy rain and gale-force winds flooded roads, knocked down trees and caused power outages at the Croatian port town of Split, the state-run HRT broadcaster reported. At the town's port, a ferry broke its moorings and hit a catamaran and a tourist excursion boat, sinking the latter. There was similar trouble further north, with storms raging in Hungary and Slovakia. In Budapest, strong winds damaged roofs, felled trees onto roads and downed power lines on July 7, with the national meteorological service HungaroMet measuring winds up to 137kmh locally. Rail traffic was severely disrupted across Hungary with full restoration of services potentially requiring weeks, according to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar. In Slovakia, gale-force winds caused power outages and blew off the roof of a block of flats in the eastern town of Gelnica and fallen trees disrupted road and railway transport across the region. The country's weather service SHMU has issued a storm warning with heavy rain, wind and hail for July 8, mainly for central and eastern Slovakia. AFP
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Japan assesses tsunami risk after Indonesian volcano eruption
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox If any tsunami waves were generated from Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, they would reach Japan's Okinawa earliest around 2.30pm on July 7. TOKYO - Japan's weather agency said on July 7 that it is assessing the possibility of tsunami reaching the country after a large volcanic eruption was observed on the Indonesian island of Flores. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am local time (12.10pm, Japan time) and if any tsunami waves were generated, they would reach Japan's southern island prefecture of Okinawa around 3.30pm (2.30pm, Singapore time) at the earliest, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is abo ut 3,913km away from Japan's Okinawa. Indonesian authorities on July 7 warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In June dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted . Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November 2024 , killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after the July 7 eruption. Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP, KYODO NEWS
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts, spews 18km-high ash tower
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupts, as seen from Nangahale village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara on July 7,. JAKARTA - A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted, spewing a colossal ash tower 18km into the sky on July 7, authorities said, just weeks after it caused dozens of flight cancellations to and from the popular resort island of Bali. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am local time (0305 GMT), the volcanology agency said in a statement. 'An eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki Volcano occurred ... with the observed ash column height reaching approximately 18,000m above the summit,' the agency said. It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. Last month dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted . Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. There were no immediate reports of cancelled flights after Monday's eruption. Laki-Laki, which means man in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m volcano named Perempuan, after the Indonesian word for woman. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. AFP
