a city of mirrors

  © Dover Publications      All across Europe, scrolling vines and metal flowers weave across iron railings and carved doors . Art Nouveau is a movement that is often associated with a brief moment in the past. Yet, if one looks closely, is it clear that Art Nouveau continues to influence and inspire the present and future of the design world.       Originally, Art Nouveau was meant to be the style of the future. Its swirling, vining forms twined through the most forward-thinking architectural works of the time, from the Eiffel Tower cafe to the spires of La Sagrada Familia. It was like it suddenly sprouted from the pavement of the most avant-garde cities of the age. Contrary to this first impression, there was an unseen web of factors behind the popularity of Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau exterior of the Pavilion Bleu, a cafe that was located on the Eiffel Tower site for the 1900 World's Fair      Like every design movement, Art Nouv...

      Recently, I visited Barcelona. What I saw there completely changed my view on the value of Art Nouveau as an architectural style. Before, Art Nouveau seemed like a strange and lovely historical oddity, beautiful but impractical for the modern world. Now, after seeing Art Nouveau bloom and vine its way across facades and banisters, I believe that Art Nouveau, or rather a new  form of it, is the future of architecture. I am working on a longer post on this topic, but in the meantime,  here  is a collection of some of the details that caught my eye.  Facade, Palau de la Música Catalana Metalwork detail Ceiling detail, Casa Batll ó Stairwell,  Casa Batll ó Attic Hallway,Casa Batll ó Glass panel detail, Casa Batll ó  Skylight detail, Casa Batll ó  Rooftop view, Casa Milá   Roof detail,Casa Milá  Gate Detail, Casa Milá  Ceiling painting, Casa Milá Facade, CosmoCaixa Science Museum  Outer wall, Parc Güell