Antoni Gaudí

Catalan architect whose work for Eusebi Güell and the Sagrada Família building committee transformed Barcelona. The Park Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), and the still-unfinished Basílica de la Sagrada Família form one of the most recognisable bodies of work in modern architecture.

Gaudí derived form from nature and structure from suspension models — chains hung upside down generated his catenary arches. The result is a vocabulary of warped surfaces, hyperboloids, and trencadís ceramic mosaic that has no real predecessor or imitator.

Seven of his works are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Sagrada Família is targeted for completion in the 2030s. He was struck and killed by a Barcelona tram and is buried in the basilica's crypt.