Sherry Shu (10) | STAFF REPORTER
I’m in the midst of Barcelona, Spain; taking in the crisp sea breeze and the majestic trees swaying above me.
And I’m looking up at one of the most stunning buildings I’ve ever seen.
The curves of the natural stone were eloquently carved, as if by the essence of the wind itself. The wonky guard rails and the rounded windows gave the front an organic feel. The spots of colour speckled around the walls; adorned by the warm light from within. But most significantly: the top of the building, hosting the grand scaled creature in its slumber, a heap of shimmering blues and purples. The whole house looked as if it was formed in a fever dream — living, stretching, breathing.
Casa Batlló, the natives called it. Or as it was more commonly known, The Dragon House. This was the infamous brainchild of Antoni Gaudí, the city’s most famous architect and designer. Gaudí had become known for being fascinated with both biology and architecture. He was regarded as one of the earliest practitioners of biomimicry — joining together the worlds of nature and mankind. His love of nature was reflected in his design over and over again.
I walked through the front doors and entered the gorgeous mansion. It almost felt as if I was exploring a garden carved by man — life spoke to me from every crevice, every shape and pattern etched delicately. From the frame of a window, the outline of a sea turtle was swimming past. From the door handle, a tiny little elephant snout triumphantly raised its snout to greet me hello. A garden of roses blossomed before my eyes as I walked past the intricate wooden walls; and even from the holes of the heating vents, the gills of a fish emerged and floated away. Every surface was bathed with the warm rays of the evening sun.
But it was when we finally reached the balcony that we knew we’d scaled the great beast. The marbled back of the dragon rose above us amidst towers and torrents. From up here, everything was quiet and reverent — almost as if no one wanted to disturb the creature. From up here, we could see the whole city of Barcelona.
For a moment in time, as I stood there among in the midst of a sprawl of skyscrapers, I felt at peace. The Casa was an escape from the busy and stressful. The commotion and noise of the city below faded away as I let myself slow it all down, and reconnect with the natural, the organic.
The beautiful.
Who knew that joy could be so simple?
