The so-called Gaudí Year has been conceived as a major international commemoration centered around the figure of Antoni Gaudí , coinciding with the centenary of his death . The event will involve several Spanish cities with a direct connection to his legacy, from Barcelona to León, Astorga, Comillas, Reus, and Palma.
Beyond grand pronouncements, the program aims to encourage the public to re-examine Gaudí's buildings and spaces , contextualizing his work within the framework of contemporary architecture and current urban debates. This is all set against the backdrop of Barcelona's year as World Architecture Capital , which amplifies the symbolic and media impact of the celebration.
A commemoration that unites cities and anniversaries
The Gaudí Year has been established as a collective commemoration of national and international scope, involving cities closely linked to his work. Barcelona, León, Astorga, and Comillas , along with Palma and Reus, are the main centers of activity, as they house some of the architect's most significant projects.
This anniversary also coincides with other significant milestones for architecture and heritage . During the same period, Barcelona holds the title of World Architecture Capital , a recognition that will attract thousands of professionals and reinforce the city's role as a laboratory for reflection on the urban planning of the future. Furthermore, the 30th anniversary of the Pritzker Prize awarded to Rafael Moneo is commemorated , and the European heritage context is framed by the importance of cathedrals such as Burgos Cathedral, although the focus of the specific program for Gaudí Year remains centered on the figure of the architect from Reus.
The underlying objective is that, based on this series of anniversaries, a broader conversation can be fostered about how architecture, historical memory, and daily life are interconnected in European cities. In this dialogue, Gaudí's work, with its blend of technique, spirituality, and formal experimentation, occupies a central place.
Gaudí's architectural legacy in Catalonia
Much of the Gaudí Year program revolves around his fourteen buildings located in Catalonia , which trace a very precise map of his creative evolution. Among them are the Crypt of the Colonia Güell , Casa Batlló , Casa Vicens , Palau Güell , and Park Güell , works that showcase everything from his early forays into Modernism to his more mature and personal style.
This list also includes Casa Calvet , the Teresian College , the Pavilions of the Güell Estate , Torre Bellesguard , the Portal of the Miralles Estate , and Nau Gaudí , less frequently visited on mass tourism routes but fundamental to understanding the evolution of his structural and decorative thinking. All of these will be the subject of itineraries, specialized visits, and educational activities throughout the year.
The symbolic heart of the commemoration is, naturally, concentrated in Casa Milà (La Pedrera) and the Sagrada Familia Expiatory Temple . The latter, a true emblem of the city of Barcelona, will become one of the main protagonists of the calendar, not only for the planned liturgical and cultural celebrations, but also for the construction progress that will mark a turning point in the temple's history.
The Catalan map is completed by the First Mystery of Glory of the Monumental Rosary of Montserrat , a piece less known to the general public but of enormous interest to understand the religious and symbolic dimension of Gaudí's work, very present in the commemorative events organized by different cultural and ecclesiastical institutions.
Gaudí's four great works outside of Catalonia
The Gaudí Year also places special emphasis on promoting his work beyond Catalonia , where four key buildings are preserved. In northern Spain, El Capricho in Comillas (Cantabria) has become a well-established tourist attraction and one of the clearest examples of how Gaudí experimented with modernist painting , color, and ceramics in a residential setting.
In Castile and León, the spotlight falls on Casa Botines in León and the Episcopal Palace of Astorga . Casa Botines, now a museum and cultural center , will showcase new interpretations of its architecture during the Gaudí Year, reinforcing its role as a modernist icon in the heart of the city . Meanwhile, the Episcopal Palace of Astorga, with its almost neo-medieval character, stands as a unique example of the architect's ability to reinterpret Gothic architecture from a highly personal perspective.
Completing this group is Gaudí's intervention at the Cathedral of Palma in Mallorca, where the architect carried out a liturgical and artistic reform of great audacity for the time. Although part of his project was never fully realized, the commemorative program highlights this intervention as an example of his desire to integrate sacred art, natural light, and spatial experimentation into a single language.
Reus inaugurates the Gaudí Year with an ice show
The city of Reus, birthplace of Antoni Gaudí , has decided to kick off its calendar of events with a show that combines entertainment, sport, and cultural outreach. The Reus Olympic Pavilion will host the figure skating performance "Trencadís: From Nature to Light," conceived as the grand opening gala for the Gaudí Year.
This show, promoted by the Reus City Council and the Royal Spanish Skating Federation , with the collaboration of the Tarragona Provincial Council and the Higher Sports Council , offers a scenic journey through the life and imagination of Gaudí . On the ice, choreography, music, and visual projections inspired by trencadís mosaic and the natural motifs that so profoundly influenced his work intertwine.
The cast is made up of top-level skaters from across the country , including members of the Spanish junior and senior national teams, European and world champions, as well as former internationally renowned athletes. They all have the support of clubs from Reus and other surrounding towns, which are involved at various stages of the production.
The artistic and technical direction is in the hands of Oscar Molins, Manel Villarroya, and Carles Gasset , supported by a team specializing in communication, production, and set design. In addition to the main event, there are complementary activities such as photo sessions and autograph signings with the athletes, official merchandise sales, and a skills development day for young skaters.
Tickets are available to the public both in advance and on the day of the performance at the venue, although advance purchase is recommended due to the expected high attendance. With this format, Reus aims to introduce the figure of the architect to audiences who may not feel a strong connection to architecture, using sport and performance as a gateway.
Barcelona, epicenter of the Gaudí Year and world capital of architecture
For most of the year, Barcelona will play a dual role : on the one hand, it will be the main stage for the Gaudí Year; on the other, it will develop the program associated with its designation as World Capital of Architecture . Both agendas intersect at numerous points, generating intense cultural, academic, and civic activity.
Between February and December, more than 75 spaces throughout the city —museums, markets, libraries, squares, and streets —are planned to host exhibitions, conferences, temporary installations, and participatory activities. In this context, Gaudí's figure is used both as a historical reference and as a starting point for reflecting on the city of the future and the challenges of sustainability, mobility, and housing.
One of the highlights of the calendar will be the Congress of the International Union of Architects , scheduled for June 28 to July 2 , with an estimated 10.000 professionals from around the world in attendance . Holding the congress in Barcelona, during the Gaudí Year, reinforces the Catalan capital's position as an international forum for architectural debate.
The activities of the world capital of architecture will leave a tangible legacy: a large-scale model of Barcelona in 2035 , to be installed in the former headquarters of the Gustavo Gili publishing house on Rosselló Street. This piece will serve as a tool for reflection and dissemination regarding the city's potential urban transformations in the coming decades.
Within this ecosystem of events, those responsible for the Gaudí Year program insist on the idea of a collective tribute to the architect , combining visits to his works with critical analysis of his influence and comparison with other contemporary architectural models.
Holy Family: spiritual symbol and focus of the program
One of the main focuses of the Gaudí Year is undoubtedly the Sagrada Familia . The expiatory temple, which receives millions of visitors each year, is at the center of the program both because of its status as the architect's masterpiece and because of the construction progress planned for this period.
The centenary commemoration is linked to a broad program under the motto "Sagrada Familia 2026. The dream of a genius ," declared to be of exceptional public interest . Among the planned activities are a solemn mass, various publications, dedicated exhibitions, a concert by the Orfeó Català (Catalan Choir) , and the organization of a world architecture congress that will use the basilica as a case study.
From an architectural standpoint, one of the most anticipated milestones is the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ , which will bring the temple's height to 172 meters , significantly redefining Barcelona's skyline. Simultaneously, work will progress on the Glory Façade project , for which the construction board commissioned proposals from three renowned artists: the Spaniards Miquel Barceló and Cristina Iglesias, and the Mexican Javier Marín . The final design for the most symbolic part of the complex, whose central portal is the work of Josep Maria Subirachs, must emerge from their projects.
In the social sphere, the organization that manages the temple has announced 50% discounts for Barcelona residents year-round, a measure intended to facilitate access for the local population to a monument marked by tourist pressure. This decision is also interpreted as a gesture of outreach to the community at a particularly busy time for events.
A life marked by faith and a tragic end
The commemoration of the Gaudí Year is not limited to reviewing his professional career: it also recovers the biographical and spiritual dimension of the architect. Born in Reus on June 25, 1852 , Gaudí was a man of deep religiosity, something that permeates a good part of his projects, especially those of a sacred nature.
Within the Church, his figure has taken on special significance after being declared venerable by Pope Francis on April 14, 2025, a significant step in the process that could, in the future, open his cause for beatification. This recognition has meant that many of the events planned around the Holy Family and his memory also have a very strong liturgical and spiritual component.
The Gaudí Year also commemorates the circumstances of his death on June 10, 1926 , when he was struck by a tram while walking, as he did daily, to the church of Sant Felip Neri to pray. The accident occurred on the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes , between Girona and Bailén streets, when the elderly architect, deep in thought, tried to avoid another vehicle and was hit by a tram on line 30.
Contemporary accounts describe how Gaudí was helped by passersby and taken to the Hospital de la Santa Creu , where he was admitted without being immediately identified. His injuries—fractured ribs, a traumatic brain injury, and various contusions—were very serious, and despite the doctors' efforts, the architect died three days later. His funeral, with his coffin carried to the Sagrada Familia, became a massive public event.
His remains rest in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia , specifically in the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Many visitors to the temple are unaware of this detail, which the commemorative program seeks to highlight through explanatory activities and historical reminders, emphasizing the strong connection between the architect's life and his great life project.
The role of León, Astorga and Comillas in the Gaudí Year
Within the national program of the Gaudí Year, León, Astorga, and Comillas play a prominent role . These towns are home to three of the architect's most unique works outside of Catalonia, each with its own program of activities, guided tours, and educational initiatives tailored to its specific context.
In León, the Casa Botines has established itself as a major landmark of Modernism in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The building, now a museum and cultural center , has prepared thematic routes, temporary exhibitions, and educational activities for this year that explore both Gaudí's original design and the building's subsequent transformations and its current function in the city.
In Astorga, the Episcopal Palace stands out as one of the most striking buildings in its urban skyline. The Gaudí Year program there focuses on explaining the symbolic and spiritual significance of the project , as well as the historical context in which the work was commissioned and the complex institutional relationships that shaped its construction. Activities aimed at families and school groups are also planned to introduce Gaudí's formal language to new generations.
Meanwhile, in the Cantabrian town of Comillas , El Capricho is enhancing its offering of visits and cultural experiences by expressly linking them to the anniversary. The idea is to integrate visitors into a broader network of Gaudí-themed itineraries throughout Spain , so that those interested in one of the buildings will gradually discover the rest of his work scattered across the country.
A year to look at Gaudí again
The array of events, exhibitions, conferences, performances, and tours that make up the Gaudí Year creates a dense and varied calendar that combines high-level academic outreach with more accessible options. The sum of all these events transforms the anniversary into an opportunity to examine the architect's figure from multiple perspectives : the strictly artistic and technical, the spiritual, the biographical, and the urban.
The involvement of cities like Barcelona, Reus, León, Astorga, Comillas, and Palma , along with cultural, religious, and academic institutions, helps the celebration transcend mere repetition of clichés. The emphasis on exploring his buildings, reinterpreting his contributions, and debating his influence on contemporary architecture places Gaudí's work in dialogue with the current challenges facing European cities.
This commemorative year aims to encourage both local residents and international visitors to once again look at the facades, interiors, and spaces designed by Gaudí with a more attentive eye, gaining a better understanding of the context in which they were conceived and the questions they still raise today about the relationship between art, faith, technology, and urban life.
