Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batlló in Barcelona has undergone a €3.5 million restoration that returns the building’s rear façade and private courtyard to their original 1906 design. Led by architect Xavier Villanueva, the year-long project employed local artisans to rebuild Gaudí’s vaulted balcony support system, reinstate lost features such as planters and a pergola, and restore original colors using 85,000 Nolla mosaic pieces, ironwork, stucco, and trencadís. The work coincides with the 20th anniversary of the building’s UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The restoration matters because it reclaims a lesser-known but integral part of Gaudí’s vision, correcting decades of deterioration and color shifts that had altered the rear façade’s expressive power. It highlights the importance of artisanal craftsmanship and rigorous historical research in preserving architectural heritage. The project also reinforces Casa Batlló’s status as a major cultural landmark in Barcelona, with a documentary film planned to document the process.