The summer of 2017, I had just one afternoon and evening Barcelona. We rode bikes through town, which is always a fun way to see and feel a city. We stopped at as many of the classics as possible. First stop was Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion. It’s such a simple plan, yet so much is achieved with planes and changes in material.
Next was a ride-by of several of Antoni Gaudi’s works: La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Casa Batllo. We were short on time, so we didn’t go in any of them. But it was such a treat to see so many buildings I have studied and seen in books. To experience and understand them in their urban context was a treat. Also, to ride bikes through Barcelona on a beautiful summer evening. . .In sum, this day was my architectural experience of 2017.
