About Gaudí in Five Minutes

Hello! As the days grow warmer, some of you may be starting to feel excited about the coming summer vacation. Do you have any plans for the summer? Are you still thinking about how to spend such a long time? In this short article, I’d like to help you become just a little more of a Gaudí expert—in about five minutes.

So, who is Antoni Gaudí? Here is a basic introduction. Antoni Gaudí was a famous Spanish architect from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. If you've ever heard of the Sagrada Família, the great church that remained unfinished for 140 years, he was its main architect.

(Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Contributors)

His works often feature natural motifs and organic expressions, you may see these artworks in the news. Other well-known works include Park Güell—a colorful and fairytale-like, 37-acre place—and Casa Batlló, a residence that looks like the undersea palace. His works can be found throughout Barcelona, the city where he lived and worked. Barcelona is not only a beautiful city. If you walk around there, you may see Gaudi's pretty artwork. If you’re interested in art, I recommend visiting Barcelona this summer.

So far so good? The information I have shared with you is something you can easily find on the internet. Today, I want you to become someone who can talk about Gaudí like a true enthusiast, so I will tell his story from a unique angle: the Universal Exposition. The Universal Exposition, also called the Expo, is, simply put, a global event where countries gather to present thefeatures of their own cultures. This event has a long history, and its theme has changed depending on the era. Today, it is a place where we can see the near future through many different cultures and the latest technologies.

But during the time when Gaudíwas active, the Expo was a more industry-centered event. The main visitors were businessmen with money, looking for investment opportunities. At the 1878 Paris Expo, a man named Eusebi Güell from the successful Güell family of Spain attended the event. In the Spanish Pavilion, he saw a display case for gloves designed by Gaudí and was deeply impressed. The Paris Expo became the opportunity for Gaudí to meet Güell, who would later become his major patron and a great supporter. At that time, Gaudí was completely unknown and a struggling student, so without being noticed by Güell, he might not have become so successful.

Of the seven works by Gaudí that are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, three were directly influenced by Güell and even include his name. This shows how deeply their meeting influenced the history of Spanish architecture.

(Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia Contributors)

(Photo Courtesy of Antonio Gaudi Foundation)

Another important event for Gaudí was the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition. At this exposition, Gaudí was responsible for renovating the pavilion called the Transatlantic Company. But even before the exposition was officially planned, Gaudí was already involved in a key part of the project. Here is what that means: for Spain’s first-ever international exposition, the site chosen was Ciutadella Park. Ciutadella Park had originally been a military fortress, and the renovation was assigned to the architect Gaudí was apprenticing under at the time. Because of this, Gaudí also took part in the renovation work.

On the other hand, the main design of the exposition site was led by Domènech Montaner and his students. He was considered rivals to Gaudí at the time. Even today, Gaudí and Montaner are often compared by many architectural critics. Both are highly regarded for their unique styles and excellent technical skill. It was not only people today who admired their work, but visitors from around the world who came to the exhibition at the time also appreciated their designs. The foundation built by Gaudí at Ciutadella Park, combined with the main venue designed by Montaner, gave the Barcelona Exposition a high level of design quality. Thanks to the work of these two leading Spanish architects, this exposition became the starting point for a new artistic movement, which is called modernism.

Modernism was an important event in Spanish history, especially for the people in Catalonia region includes Barcelona. Gaudí is known as one of the leading architects of Modernism, but it began with the 1888 Universal Exhibition in Barcelona.

(Photo Courtesy of Catalunya Barcelona)

As you can see, Gaudi and the Universal Exhibition influenced each other and made many big changes in Spanish art history. Spain is a home for many famous artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, and Gaudi is one of them. So, he might be someone you’d better know. Now that you’ve learned about him from the perspective of world expositions, you can proudly say you know more than just the basics.

Speaking of world expositions, my home country Japan is currently hosting Expo 2025 in Osaka. The event runs for about six months and will end on October 13. With the motto “Designing Future Society for Our Lives,” the expo offers a glimpse into the future—featuring humanoid robots, flying cars, and even moving walls.

From here on the East Coast of the United States, Japan may seem far away, but just like Spain, it is a great place to go for a summer trip. The Paris Expo of 1878 and the Barcelona Expo of 1888 were turning points for Gaudí and Spain. But even beyond those two, every expo might become a source of change for someone, somewhere. That someone could be you, or someone you haven’t met yet. Just like the expo gave something to Gaudí, I believe it can also give something to you. This summer, why not visit Osaka, Japan, and become a witness to history?

(Photo Courtesy of Expo 2025)