In a Landmark Restoration, Casa Batlló Reveals Gaudí’s Long-Hidden Back Facade 

Even in a city teeming with stunning architecture, the flamboyant facade of Casa Batlló is one of Barcelona’s most beloved and highly sought-after landmarks. Antoni Gaudi, the Catalan modernist who remodeled the once-unassuming house on the fashionable Passeig de Gràcia between 1904 and 1906, sheathed its swooping exterior in trencadís mosaics of lustrous blue-and-green glass that shimmers like a lake’s glassy top layer. Long overshadowed by the photogenic front, the structure’s rear elevation had languished after several ownership changes, its vivid colors dulled and key elements lost to time despite partial restorations in the 1950s and ‘90s.  

Now, after more than a century, a sweeping overhaul has unveiled the hidden side of the Modernisme masterpiece exactly as Gaudí intended. Spearheaded by lead architect Xavier Villanueva, the ambitious $4 million undertaking marks the first full-scale restoration of the back facade and courtyard, uncovering original hues of ironwork, wood, and stucco buried beneath generations of overpainting and neglect. That required rigorous research, exhaustive planning, and enlisting a dedicated team of preservationists and artisans to ensure every material—ceramics, glass, ironwork, wood, and stucco—returned to Gaudí’s signature splendor.  

“When we discovered the original colors, we couldn’t believe it,” Villanueva recalls. “The facade as it stands is now like the photographic negative of the original by Gaudí.” He and his team conducted statigraphic test results to uncover hues hidden beneath layers of paint—insights that were reinforced by extensive documentary, photographic, and architectural research. “The discoveries we made relate in shapes, colors, and materials to the rest of Casa Batlló,” he says. “As we restored each facet, we reached the essence of Gaudí’s original vision and the entire house began to achieve harmony.”  

This work brought these discoveries to life with meticulous craftsmanship in practically every medium. Master blacksmith Enric Pla Montferrer’s workshop revived wrought-iron railings, planters, and a parabolic pergola that had entirely vanished. The team even reengineered Gaudí’s spiraling, mixed brick-and-iron vault system supporting the balconies—a previously undocumented structural innovation. Woodwork specialists carefully stripped away layers of paint to reveal the deep green of the window muntins, matching the building’s celebrated facade. Stucco details were returned to their original black, transforming its composition and character.  

The private courtyard—conceived by Gaudí as a serene urban retreat for the Batlló family—also received an exacting treatment. Lost elements like the parabola-shaped pergola and planters were recreated using historic photographs and traditional techniques. The courtyard floor, an intricate Nolla mosaic of 85,000 pieces, was faithfully replicated using high-quality ceramics, preserving the original pattern from 1906. Iron railings and doors, as well as courtyard walls including stucco and glass-and-ceramic trencadís, were also refurbished. 

The drive to rehabilitate Casa Batlló stretches back decades. In the 1990s, Nina Bernat—then CEO of Casa Batlló and mother of today’s CEO, Gary Gautier—spearheaded the building’s first major conservation efforts, paving the way for its 2005 UNESCO World Heritage Destination. Bernat, daughter of Catalan entrepreneur Enric Bernat, who invented Chupa Chups lollipops, acquired the property in 1993 and has remained a passionate steward of its preservation ever since. “I’m thrilled by the path we’ve traveled together—being there from the very start and, alongside the team, rediscovering Casa Batlló’s original splendor as Gaudí imagined it,” Bernat says. “The restoration is a wondrous gift born of our dedication and love for heritage.”  

Under Gautier’s leadership, nearly $30 million has been directed into conservation since 2019. The team is already planning a $1 million overhaul of the third floor, which once housed the Batlló family’s private quarters. Each step was recorded and shared on social media, with a short documentary chronicling the entire process slated to debut this year. It’s part of a broader strategy to demystify heritage conservation and inspire future artisans, architects, and preservationists. “Being part of this milestone is a true honor—uncovering Gaudí’s brilliance for tomorrow’s generations and celebrating the venturing artistry of our master craftsmen,” Gautier says. “It’s a gift not just for Barcelona, but for the world.”