Casa Batlló opens the last original dwelling of the building to the public

BarcelonaThe ownership of Casa Batlló continues to delve into the building's history and find new uses to keep it alive. They are now opening to the public the last floor inhabited by the descendants of the Batlló family for over a hundred years, after carrying out an archaeological restoration of all elements. The apartment had been preserved with an “exceptional authenticity”, as stated in the press release issued by the ownership, and constitutes “a valuable testimony to Barcelona domestic life in the early 20th century”. The chief architect of Casa Batlló and head of the recovery works, Xavier Villanueva, points out that the one on the third floor is the original dwelling remaining in Casa Batlló because around 1950 all others were modified except this one, as it was rented to the Batlló family. The third and fourth generation of the Batllós lived in the apartment for over 100 years, until 2019.

The apartment is located on the third floor of the house and, in addition to being an extension of the visit to the building, will be available as private rooms for holding tailor-made meetings, gatherings, and celebrations. During the restoration process, all the carpentry, flooring, stucco, and tools have been analyzed and restored. Pieces that were too deteriorated have been replaced with new ones, with a combination of “traditional techniques and contemporary knowledge”, thanks to the work of local artisans. “The process has been approached as archaeological work: layers accumulated over decades have been carefully removed to reveal the true nature of the dwelling. Underneath subsequent paintings, additions, and reforms, surprising discoveries have appeared and an architecture that had remained practically intact”, explain those responsible for Casa Batlló. Two outstanding discoveries have been made: floral decorations hidden for decades under layers of paint and a doorknob designed by Gaudí, “unknown”.

During the restoration, the stucco work in the main rooms and hallways has been recovered, which has revealed different tones and textures. Ceilings with organic shapes and numerous hooks have also been restored. The flooring has been one of the major challenges of the restoration. As they were in very poor condition, they have been faithfully reproduced from the originals, piece by piece. Furthermore, the restoration has recovered all the hardware elements (original knobs, handles, and mechanisms). Regarding the new uses, the architect and designer Paola Navone, from OTTO Studio, has designed an interior based on “respect for the existing space”.

Villanueva also explains that with this apartment they have discovered that the basic characteristics preserve those that are also on the main floor of Casa Batlló. "The concept of ventilation, color, shapes, materials, or the quality of the spaces was all under layers from different eras. From the 20s, 40s, 60s, 80s, and early 2000s. Under all these layers we have found the original apartment. It was not in very good condition –he adds–, but it was recoverable, which is what's important. The image we have today of the container, the dwelling itself, is the closest state to the original we can have".

In this regard, Villanueva recalls that the inhabitants of the apartment adapted it to their needs according to social and cultural changes: "It's not the same being in 1917, which is when the family occupied this apartment, as it is in 2019; 102 years later". Regarding the restoration process, besides insisting that it has been archaeological, he admits that it has been complex because it required removing layers from 2019 back to 1906. "It has been an extremely meticulous process –he concludes–, because it was full of details, many more details than we could have imagined. We thought it would be more basic, conceptually, but, instead, we have seen that it has exceptional richness in terms of the quality of materials, colors, shapes, and it has been very interesting".