Casa Batlló, Gaudí’s iconic landmark in Barcelona, opens itself to contemporary art with Casa Batlló Contemporary, designed by Mesura. Establishing a dialogue with the historic architecture, the new exhibition space—featuring its undulating metal ceiling and Matt Clark’s Beyond the Façade exhibition—invites visitors to reconsider Gaudí’s nature-inspired vision through contemporary artistic practices.
One of Barcelona’s most iconic buildings, Casa Batlló now brings its architectural legacy into conversation with contemporary production through a newly inaugurated space dedicated to art. Located within Antoni Gaudí’s Art Nouveau masterpiece, Casa Batlló Contemporary has been realized by the architecture studio Mesura.
The opening coincides with the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death and with Barcelona’s designation as the 2026 World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO UIA. Situated on the building’s second floor in areas previously closed to the public, the 230-square-meter exhibition space will host two exhibitions annually, inviting visitors to rethink Gaudí’s vision through the lens of contemporary art.
Transformed by Gaudí between 1904 and 1906, Casa Batlló has been open to visitors since 2002 and is today one of Barcelona’s most popular cultural destinations. With its organic forms, fluid lines, and architecture inspired by nature, the building is considered one of the strongest examples of the modernist movement. Although it has undergone extensive restorations over the years, it has preserved Gaudí’s original approach.
Establishing a Dialogue with Gaudí
Maria Bernat, director of Casa Batlló Contemporary, emphasizes that the project required “an intervention that captures the present while respecting the building’s legacy.” According to Bernat, Mesura’s design honors Gaudí’s experimental spirit, craftsmanship, and material innovation while also asserting its own identity.
Carlos Dimas, partner at Mesura, describes the process not as an addition but as an act of listening. He explains that they approached the project as a dialogue with Gaudí’s architecture rather than imposing a prescriptive gesture upon it. The team’s point of departure was Gaudí’s understanding of architecture as a living organism.
The most striking feature of the space is its undulating metal ceiling, evoking the image of a drop of water falling onto a calm surface. Referencing the Mediterranean, this surface reinterprets Gaudí’s nature-inspired curvilinear geometry through a contemporary lens. The light-reflecting aluminum creates a constantly shifting effect, almost as if it were liquid.
For the ceiling’s production, Mesura collaborated with the local engineering and fabrication studio Oxido Studio. An industrial technique used in the automotive industry was adapted—through the use of a robotic arm—to shape 1.2-millimeter aluminum sheets into wave-like forms. According to Dimas, this three-dimensional topography generates structural strength, allowing the lightweight metal to be self-supporting.
On the floor, a green microcement finish—scheduled for completion in May 2026—will provide a calm counterpoint beneath the dynamic ceiling. Referencing the mosaic tones of the façade, this understated surface balances the movement above. Meanwhile, Casa Batlló’s restoration team, led by architect Xavier Villanueva, is meticulously uncovering the building’s historic elements, including original woodwork and windows. Dimas underscores that intervening in Gaudí’s work is both a privilege and a responsibility, noting that Gaudí is not only central to the world of architecture but also to Barcelona’s collective identity.
Opening Exhibition: Beyond the Façade
The gallery’s inaugural exhibition, Beyond the Façade, is by Matt Clark, founder of the London-based United Visual Artists. On view until May 17, the exhibition brings together light works, projections, and kinetic sculptures. It also continues Clark’s projection work Hidden Order, created for the façade of Casa Batlló.
