Gaudí and the water: engineering, nature and wellbeing
Discover as Gaudí worked with water in his architecture, taming it for fountains, cisterns, roofs and cooling systems.
Arch of the waterfall in Casa Vicens (Reconstruction) ((1883-1885) 2019) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
Taking advantage of water has been a challenge for humanity. Different cultures have sought solutions both to ensure supply and to turn it into an ornamental element. The Catalan architect Gaudí also played and developed brilliant ideas with water.
Keep on reading and immerse yourself in Gaudí’s water world
Cooling the gardens
Gaudí devised a system to cool down the garden at Casa Vicens. A curtain of water cascaded off a parabolic arch built in brick, making for a refreshing atmosphere around the garden and the entrance to the house. In the garden we could also find a fountain dedicated to Santa Rita.
Casa Vicens (1883-1885) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
The fountain
The Vicens house had a large garden with a fountain dedicated to Santa Rita in one corner, where the neighbours used to go for the water because it was thought to be medicinal. To maintain this tradition, the owner of the house left the fountain open to the public.
In 1925, Serra Martínez built a chapel for the Santa Rita fountain at the far end of the Casa Vicens property, and he also enlarged the house and changed the layout of the state.
Waterfall
The waterfall was located parallel to the building façade and centered with the porch, to generate a refreshing breeze around the garden and the entrance of the house.
Arch of the waterfall in Casa Vicens (Reconstruction) ((1883-1885) 2019) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
The same mine water that fed Santa Rita fountain fed the waterfall in the garden, demolished in the sixties. The waterfall was rebuilt in 2019 in the gardens of the AGBAR Water Museum in Cornellà de Llobregat, according to the original plans.
Cooling the interior
As in the architecture of the Arab world, where water was used to cool interiors, Gaudí built a fountain on the veranda of the house, an intermediate space between the inside and outside.
Fountain on the porch of Casa Vicens (1883-1885) by Antoni Gaudí i CorneMuseu de les Aigües
Casa Vicens veranda was protected from the sun by a lattice that let the air pass through.
The water flowed through the metal spokes to the small pond at the bottom, cooling the space.
Use of rainwater
Park Güell was a project for a garden city designed along the lines of the ones that already existed in England. Despite the failure of the promotion, it is an excellent example of how Gaudí took into account the use of rainwater in a global way.
Water collection system for the cistern in Park Güell (1900-1914) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetOriginal source: © David Martínez
This drawing of Park Güell’s water conduction system shows how rainwater was collected and channeled to a large cistern under the Hypostyle Hall, through pipes located inside the columns.
Outer side of the undulating bench in Park Güell (1900-1914) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
The famous undulating bench acts as a boundary and balustrade for the park square and has a water collection system.
Cistern in Park Güell (1900-1914) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetOriginal source: © Pere Vivas / Triangle
The cistern was initially intended to supply the irrigation system in the development.
Dragon fountain in Park Güell (1900-1914) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
The tile shard mosaic dragon that welcomes visitors to the park at the top of the steps acted as an overflow structure when the cistern was full of rainwater.
Channelling away rainwater
The leaves of plants such as the magnolia collect water and carry it to the roots. Gaudí was inspired by them when he designed the roof of the Sagrada Familia school. Its conoid structure is as effective at channelling away water as the natural form of the leaves.
Conoid roof of the Sagrada Família school (1909) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetOriginal source: © Pere Vivas / Triangle
The leaves of plants such as the magnolia collect water and carry it to the plant’s roots. Gaudí was inspired by them when he designed the roof of the Sagrada Familia school. Its conoid structure is as effective at channelling away water as the natural form of the leaves.
Roof of La Pedrera (1906-1912) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetOriginal source: © Pere Vivas / Triangle
The Casa Milà, known as La Pedrera, is one of the buildings where Gaudí developed his peculiar style. In this case, Gaudí tamed the water on the roof, directing its flow continuously and smoothly towards the gutters in the courtyard to reuse it.
Windows in the Colònia Güell Crypt (1898-1914) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
The water-drop shape of the windows of the Colonia Güell helps to divert rainwater to the sides, preventing it from coming inside.
This shape is not only reminiscent of a water drop in the physical sense, but also in the symbolic sense, by way of water that purifies.
Artigas Gardens (1905-1906) by Antoni Gaudí i CornetMuseu de les Aigües
In the Artigas Gardens, the course of the river determined the architectural layout, which facilitates their discovery and the enjoyment of water in its natural environment. The same as in Park Güell, Gaudí designed bridges and paths that fuse architecture and nature, but in this case, as in other projects a long way from Barcelona, Gaudí did not supervise the construction work closely.
