Barcelonas performed by UNESCO Casa Batllo, a modernist architectural masterpiece of the Sagrada Familia designer Antoni Gaudi, presented a recovery of several million euros on Thursday, which brought his back facade and the courtyard back to life.
Earlier renovations, changes in ownership and the turbulent period, which was characterized by the civil war of Spain from 1936-1939, had called for their tribute of the unique building completed in 1906.
A team of architects, historians and craftsmen spent more than a year to repair the bright mosaics and to restore the original cream-colored color into the blackened, curvy balcony bars.
The result is “the most similar to 1906 that we could achieve with today's technology,” Xavier Villanueva, the chief architect and civil servant who is responsible for the works, told AFP.
In the courtyard, the Pergola reproduces a Parabola shape and more than 85,000 pieces form the paving: “Hand made, as it was originally,” said Villanueva.
The careful task meant that the team “carried out many analyzes in several university laboratories, many profits, we have a lot of documentary film information,” he said.
According to Casa Batllo, the restoration cost 3.5 million euros, which is located in a fashionable quarter of Barcelona in the early 20th century from the bourgeoisie and wealthy industrialists in the city.
Casa Batllo has been 1.9 million visitors since 2005, an Uncesco-listed location. It is one of the most popular attractions in a city known as a global tourism magnet.