A gallery is opening in Gaudí’s House in Barcelona

One of Barcelona’s most iconic architectural symbols is entering a new chapter. Casa Batlló, the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudí, a UNESCO World Heritage site, will open a new exhibition space dedicated to contemporary art on January 31, located on the building’s second floor, an area that has been closed to the public for decades.

What kind of space is it?

The second floor of Casa Batlló was once a residential area and later served as a workshop for conservation and maintenance. Now, for the first time in its history, it is opening to the public as a contemporary art gallery. This transformation has been carefully conceived to preserve the memory of the place while enabling a dialogue with the present. The gallery will host two contemporary art exhibitions per year, further positioning Casa Batlló as one of Barcelona’s key cultural hubs. Visitors will be able to access the space as part of the full Casa Batlló tour or via a separate ticket intended exclusively for the gallery experience.

Courtesy of Casa Batlló Contemoprary

What message are the organizers conveying?

“Casa Batlló Contemporary aims to foster a dialogue between the past and the future,” says Maria Bernat, Director of the Artistic Program at Casa Batlló Contemporary. “Through art and architecture, we explore Gaudí’s radical vision from the perspective of contemporary thought, remaining faithful to his spirit of innovation and disruptiveness.” This very idea, the encounter between heritage and contemporaneity, lies at the heart of the new gallery space, which naturally connects to Barcelona’s vibrant and dynamic art scene.

Courtesy of Casa Batlló

Which exhibition is first on the program?

The opening of the gallery will be marked by the exhibition Beyond the Façade, a work by the London-based collective United Visual Artists, founded by artist Matt Clark. Their practice, positioned at the intersection of art, architecture, and technology, has already been presented at institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts in London, YCAM in Tokyo, and the Sydney Biennale.

At Casa Batlló, United Visual Artists explore the cycles of life through light and movement, creating an immersive experience in which visitors can recognize themselves as part of the artwork. Matt Clark is also the author of Casa Batlló Mapping 2026, a new work for the building’s façade, conceived as a visual prologue to the exhibition itself. Visitors will be able to view it on January 31 and February 1.

This is a contemporary architectural response to Gaudí

The transformation of the space was led by the architectural studio Mesura, which approached the task with exceptional sensitivity. Original elements, including wooden joinery and stained glass, have been carefully restored, while the space has been reinterpreted as a meeting point of architectural memory and contemporary art. Particular attention is drawn to the new curved metal ceiling, screen-printed with concentric waves reminiscent of a drop of water on the calm surface of a lake. Produced using robotic technology, the ceiling gives the space a contemporary identity without disrupting its historical balance.

With the opening of the new gallery, Casa Batlló reaffirms its commitment to heritage preservation as well as ongoing cultural innovation. As Gary Gautier, CEO of Casa Batlló, notes, this moment holds special significance as it takes place in the year marking the centenary of Gaudí’s death and within the context of Barcelona as the World Capital of Architecture.

Courtesy of Casa Batlló