When I moved to Barcelona 30 years ago, I would pass, with studied indifference, the many buildings by architect Antoni Gaudí scattered around the city. In arguments about his unfinished basilica, the Sagrada Família, I liked to echo George Orwell’s throwaway comment: “One of the most hideous buildings in the world....I think the Anarchists showed bad taste in not blowing it up.”
Then, several years ago, a friend responded: “Well, maybe, but don’t you like unorthodox extravaganzas in a city? Are you saying you prefer repetitive, dull city blocks?” It was a moment of illumination. I realized how philistine Orwell’s remark was, and how superficial I was to quote him unthinkingly. You can hate or love Gaudí’s work, but indifference is just a pose. Jolted, for the first time I began to not just walk on by but to look at his buildings.
