Colònia Güell is a former industrial village located about 20 minutes from Barcelona. Founded in 1890 by entrepreneur Eusebi Güell, it was built to provide a higher quality of life for textile workers and is now a celebrated open-air museum of Catalan Modernisme. 

The Gaudí Crypt: a UNESCO World Heritage site. Antoni Gaudí used this church as a “laboratory” to test architectural innovations—such as catenary arches and hyperbolic parabolas—that he would later apply to the Sagrada Família. 

• Stereostatic Model: Gaudí invented a complex system of hanging strings and weights (poly-funicular model) to calculate the gravity and pressure of arches. By photographing this inverted model, he designed catenary arches that didn’t require external buttresses.
• Hyperbolic Paraboloids: He was the first to use these warped mathematical shapes in walls and vaults, allowing for curved, organic structures that integrated into the hillside.
• Material Innovation: He pioneered the use of recycled industrial waste, such as iron slag from the nearby factory and over-fired “waste” bricks, to create textured, cost-effective surfaces.