Gaudi of Barcelona

"Colour in architecture must be intense, logical, and fertile," wrote Catalan architect and designer Antoni Gaudi in his diary in the late 1870s. Known for his sensuous, curving, almost surreal Art Nouveau buildings, Gaudi (1852-1926) is today one of the best-known architects in the world. Gaudi's organic structures - undulating tiled roofs, pinnacles and towers that rise like plants or tentacles, chimneys that take on phantasmal shapes and colours - are all illustrated here, accompanied by plans and drawings that provide a clear picture of Gaudi's structural innovations. For those already familiar with the architect's work, the magnificent photographs taken by Melba Levick, full of details, will prove a revelation; for those just discovering Gaudi, this book is the next best thing to experiencing the buildings themselves.