Gaudí & Biomimicry

Hovering, I write about it. There is a corner in the world of low hills that merge with the mediterranean sea, a city full of stories, a muse that has inspired artists, architects, designers and writers. Barcelona is with no doubt an innovative city, where ideas materialize, they are successful and long-lasting. Before landing, I can see singular shapes in some of its neighborhoods from the air. Between the straight lines of the streets, colorful and meandering shapes appear, hollowed out beehives, buildings with reptilian and coral shapes, mysterious guards protecting the roof of a building. I observe the architecture that today we would love to be the norm and not the exception: the legacy that Gaudi left us. 

Did he appear ahead of his time?The years in which Gaudí lived his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, run in parallel with the industrialization of the western world, in which the exploitation of resources begins to accentuate, as well as the division between natural and urban civilized spaces. To achieve this, a modern economy was required, which involved bringing cheap subsidized materials from distant places, as well as the use of steam and coal as energy sources for different industries. However, this architect was coming against the tide in several ways. First, he understood that nature and the environment that surrounds it have an inseparable relationship in buildings, under the concept of organic architecture (Kim S, 2015). Second, he abstracted patterns from nature, with their unique symmetries and solutions. Third and most important, it generated a guide for next generations : “The architect of the future will build imitating nature, since this is the most rational, economical and durable method of all “(Mirat et al, 2018). Amazingly, through his work, he gave us a manual on biomimicry and sustainability. For him, the “great book that is always open to make an effort to read is that of nature” (Mirat et al, 2015). 

Let’s start with forms. Gaudí uses geometric shapes present in nature, such as the “catenary”, “helicoid” and “paraboloids” as architectural solutions (Liu, 2015). Interestingly, he is able to do them with just the use of rulers and cords. These imitations occur as metaphors, imitations, structures, and decorations (Soyeon K, 2016). Biomimicry is part of his creative process, since he manages to abstract design principles from natural strategies. In his case, he does it to provide solutions: he optimizes the mechanical structure of his buildings. In a spectacular case, it eliminates the use of structures used in Gothic architecture by pillars of branched tree structure, generating great savings in materials. Designed aerodynamically, as in the bell towers of the Sagrada Familia, which are able to reduce the thrust of the wind. Use shapes inspired by the plants of Casa Vicens. It uses these geometries by increasing lighting and reducing energy consumption. In Casa Batló, for example, he increases the windows on the façade and patios for this purpose.