Milan and Barcelona

Milan

May 12th 2009

Last May I took a trip to Milan for 4 days and explored the infamous city and its surroundings. Milan is not always the first choice when planning a romantic getaway to Italy, but it is the first city that comes to mind when you think of fashion, design, architecture and Italian innovation and creativity. A walk through Milan's historical center will take you past some of the most famous architectural structures of Europe. For example, starting from the city center, Piazza del Duomo, which is in itself an architectural wonder, you will be in walking distance from the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Teatro dell Scala opera house,San Lorenzo Maggiore, and the Torre Velasca.

The Duomo is the third largest cathedral in the world after St. Peter's in Rome and the Cathedral of Seville.

It took over 500 years to complete and today is constantly being repaired and maintained.

When looking at a map of Milan, you can see that Milan's city streets follow a spider web pattern with the Duomo being the center point. All roads either run towards or around the great cathedral. When I was trying to navigate my way around Milan it was always helpful to know where the Duomo was in relation to the street and also as a meeting point. 

Galeria Vittorio Emanuele is one of the most beautifully covered galleries in Europe. It was the first of it's kind to make use of an iron and glass structure. 

This outdoor staircase caught my eye whilst wandering through one of the main streets in Milan.

Barcelona 

22nd May 2010

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an independent region of Spain. It is Spain's major Mediterranean port and famous for Gaudi, Dali, Miro and Picasso. The city is strong commercially compared to the rest of Spain in a similar way to say Milan and the rest of Italy. The Olympics were staged in Barcelona in 1992 and provided a legacy of good contemporary architecture with many buildings by famous architects. (such as Frank Ghery)

The most famous Barcelona building has got to be Sagrada Familia by Spanish architect Gaudi. The centre of the city - Barri Gothic - is formed from a Roman village, tight-knit alleys, squares and charming cheek-by-jowl buildings and a civilised grid of avenues. The city is surrounded by the hills that ring Barcelona, and of course the Mediterranean Sea.

Barcelona is my favourite city I have visited so far. It is vibrant and bustling with people, music, culture and art. The streets are endlessly lined with performers and artists which matches the feel of the architecture within the city. There is a mix of modern construction techniques and traditional Mediterranean style buildings. 

Gaudi's work is admired by architects around the World as being one of the most unique and distinctive architectural styles. His work has greatly influenced the face of Barcelona Architecture and you can see Gaudi's work all over the city. 

From the very beginning his designs were different from those of his contemporaries.
Gaudi's work was greatly influenced by forms of nature and this is reflected by the use of curved construction stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like forms which are traits of Gaudi's Barcelona architecture.
Gaudi also adorned many of his buildings with coloured tiles arranged in mosaic patterns. This added another important dimension to his buildings which is so often overlooked by architects - the use of colour.
The combination of original design, interesting shaped stonework, and vibrant colours in Gaudi's work give the viewer a truly breathtaking visual experience.

Bench at park guell