Ornate stone building façade with curved gables, iron balconies, and detailed architectural features, photographed under a clear blue sky.

September 10, 2026

Words: Jen Renzi

Milestones Of Design: Antoni Gaudí’s Enduring Design Vision

A pioneer of Modernisme, or Catalan art nouveau, best known for his expressive, organic, and utterly unique edifices, Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí approached architecture holistically, conceiving simpatico interior elements and custom furnishings such as those envisioned for Casa Calvet, his first major residential project, and Casa Batlló, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Manufacturer BD Barcelona first reproduced the sculptural, slightly Surrealist designs some 50 years ago, leveraging the original techniques and materials, and now, on the centenary of Gaudí’s death, spotlights them anew with a year-long celebration that bowed at Maison&Objet Paris. The Antoni Gaudí collection—varnished solid–oak seating, cast-brass hardware, and more—reflects the icon’s vision and hands-on creative process as well as BD’s emphasis on preserving the history, and advancing the future, of design. bdbarcelona.com

Milestones: 100 Years

  • Ornate stone building façade with curved gables, iron balconies, and detailed architectural features, photographed under a clear blue sky.
    The 1899 Casa Calvet in Barcelona was Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí’s first major residential project. Photography Courtesy of BD Barcelona.
  • Five uniquely designed wooden chairs are displayed on a marble platform in an elegant, peach-toned room with arched wall details.
    Calvet stool (front) and Batlló chairs and Calvet armchair (back), authenticated reeditions of turn-of-the-century designs composing the 2026 Antoni Gaudí collection by BD Barcelona. Photography Courtesy of BD Barcelona.
  • Black and white portrait of a bearded man in a suit, facing slightly to the side, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression.
    Antoni Gaudí. Photography Courtesy of BD Barcelona.
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