The restoration of Casa Batlló's rear facade and the private courtyard has invisible a side of the legendary building for over a century and faithfully returned to Gaudí's family withdrawal in his original brilliance from 1906.
Over a century after its completion, Casa Batllós Back facade and private courtyard were restored to their original state, which marks one of the most ambitious nature conservation projects in the history of the building. This once hidden ensemble was designed by Antoni Gaudí as a remote family train behind the lively front height and was apparently the first time after a one -year restoration by a team of local craftsmen and historians.
The rear increase was found behind the wavy front facade and was hidden from the perspective for a long time and had suffered from both natural degradation and pieces. Although there were partial restorations in the 1950s and 1990s, a comprehensive effort was not made until 2024 to restore Gaudí's complete original vision – led by old photographs, laboratory tests and digital scantechnics.
As part of a detailed analysis of materials and surfaces, the color stratigraphy unveiled the original palette under decades of over -fold. The cream-colored stucco, which was once regarded as Gaudí's design, was dramatically discovered as the originally black-change the character of the facade. Similarly, color tones of the wood and iron railings were returned to their 1906 tones, which caused the nuanced contrasts that are typical of Gaudí's work.
In addition to this renewal of the color, the structure of the facade itself offered surprises. During the preservation of the balconies, the team discovered a previously unknown support system – a spiral hybrid made of iron and brick that was radically innovative for his time. After stabilization, the balcony surfaces with original materials such as Nolla mosaic tiles were reconstructed, their complicated geometric patterns, which were put together by a bunch of historical photographs.
The private courtyard was also carefully restored. Designed by Gaudí as a quiet garden room for the Batlló family, it had lost several important features over the decades. Archive research enabled the restorers to reintroduce planters next to the ventilation yard and a parabolic pergola, which was once disguised in Heather. A new layout of 85,000 ceramic tiles reproduces the original Nolla mosaic floor, whose extensive colors have been reinterpreted with an improved shelf life for external use.
A large part of the iron work – planters, balcony rails, doors – was broken down and transported to Alpens, where the Blacksmith Enric Pla Montferrer team revived it using traditional techniques. Elements that go beyond the repair have been redesigned according to the UNESCO restoration standards, which only enable the replacement if more than 75 percent of the original material is lost. The modular assembly system, which has been changed in the past decades by welded connections, was restored with bolts and nuts in harmony with the original building methods of Gaudí.
Carpenter Josep Bartolí and his team accepted the restoration of the wooden elements and, if possible, worked in situ. They became worsened Muntins for the windows and doors of the courtyard, while the corresponding glass panels with traditional oral -blown methods of Glass Studio were redesigned. The result is a warm, organic contrast between natural materials that bring Gaudí's sensory intentions back to life.
This restoration was not only a technical performance, but also a collaborative celebration of Barcelona's lively craftsmanship. Local workshops in ceramics, wood, iron and glass worked in parallel to Site teams and underlined the importance of craftsmanship continuity in workers' work.
The assembly was as complicated as the deconstruction. Each element was mapped and numbered according to its original placement, supported by a digital model of the building. The reinforced vaults of the facades, which were hidden for a long time, were strengthened, and the decorative details about the mosaics of Stuck and Tencads were restored by Manel Diestre and his ceramic team with traditional limestone techniques.
The project is part of a more comprehensive conservation effort by Casa Batlló, which has invested over 25 million euros since 2019. The initiative of CEO Gary Gautier builds on work that acquired property in 1993 by Nina Bernat, daughter of Enric Bernat in the nineties. Phases, including the upcoming restoration of the third floor.
Today is the hidden garden of Gaudí, which has long been overshadowed by the more theatrical front of the building, now for the perspective of textures, colors and structures restored, which not only speak of the innovation of the early 20th century, but also a permanent commitment to cultural administrative ships. The hope here is that the restoration enriches the public understanding of Casa Batlló as a living work of art when you reveal what was behind the house for so long.