Barcelona Concert Hall

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Geo: 39.4702, -0.376804

Walked to the Palau de la Musica for a 10am tour. Designed by Lluis Domenech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudi's university teacher and subsequent intense rival. In the day (turn of the 20th©😉, Montaner was The Man and Gaudi was the crazy upstart. Now, of the seven UNESCO heritage sites in Barcelona, two are Montaner's and five are Gaudi's.

Drove back to Madrid via Valencia. Was pleasantly reassured to see many orange groves near the city. Cracked €30 for a single road toll payment, but the road systems are terrific.

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Photos

From the Bleachers
Similarities with Gaudi's work were apparent, but to me Montaner had a more gaudy, almost baroque style. Spectacular, but too much for my taste.

Muses of Inspiration
Cleverly made in plaster and mosaic, the figures seem to be emerging. The concert hall was built (and is still owned) by a collection of choirs, singers were the focus, not the orchestra.

Palau foyer
This whole space was originally open, but has been enclosed over time. I queried this, and was told it was because the increasing outside noise pollution was impacting the performances. Pretty hard to regulate temperature, too.