Hidden for 100 years: Casa Batlló in Barcelona reveals the restoration of back- façade and courtyard of Gaudí’s legendary building
- Gen de Art
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
More than a century later, Gaudí’s best-kept secret is finally being unveiled: Casa Batlló has completed one of its most ambitious undertakings—the full restoration of its 1906 back-façade and private courtyard on the Noble Floor—bringing to light the original design Gaudí conceived for the Batlló family.
Since 1915, the back-façade’s colors had shifted and courtyard features—like its planters and pergola had disappeared. Whilst there was some limited restoration work in the 1950s and 1990s, this marks the first truly comprehensive restoration. Rigorous research uncovered surprising discoveries, and, with a €3.5 million investment and a dedicated team of restorers and local artisans, every material—ceramics, glass, ironwork, wood, and stucco—has been returned to Gaudí’s intended splendor.
After exhaustive planning, restoration work proceeded in parallel on-site at Casa Batlló and in specialist artisan workshops, where centuries-old techniques were preserved and adapted to contemporary standards—foregrounding craftsmanship as a living heritage and entrusting named experts to carry on Gaudí’s legacy.
Continuing a five-year series of major restorations in 2025—the year Casa Batlló marks the 20th anniversary of its UNESCO World Heritage inscription—this intervention has revived the intimate outdoor space beside the dining room, originally conceived as a garden-like retreat for family relaxation.
“Being part of this milestone is a true honor—uncovering Gaudí’s brilliance for tomorrow’s generations and celebrating the enduring artistry of our master craftsmen. It’s a gift not just for Barcelona, but for the world,” said Gary Gautier, CEO of Casa Batlló.
Restoring Casa Batlló’s Deteriorated Facade and Lost Courtyard Elements
On the Back Façade
The stucco and glass-and-ceramic trencadís on the side walls and cornice were restored. The wrought-iron railings, wooden windows and balcony doors, and the mosaic pavement were recovered on the balconies, reinforcing the structure, which was in a very deteriorated state.
In the Private Courtyard
Elements lost over time have been reproduced, such as the planters beside the ventilation courtyards and a heather pergola shaped like a parabola, originally located in the centre of the courtyard. The pavement was faithfully replicated with 85,000 Nolla mosaic pieces, respecting original techniques. Iron railings and doors, as well as the courtyard walls including stucco and glass-and-ceramic trencadís, were also restored.
A Collaborative Work Full of Surprising Discoveries
“When we discovered the original colors, we couldn’t believe it. The façade as it stands is now like the photographic negative of the original by Gaudi,” said Xavier Villanueva, the lead architect responsible for the restoration.
During the pandemic, Villanueva remembers the thrill of receiving the first stratigraphic test results—uncovering the original hues hidden beneath layers of paint on the wood, ironwork, and stucco. These laboratory insights were reinforced by extensive documentary, photographic, and architectural research, enhanced with 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and other digital techniques to ensure pinpoint precision.
“The discoveries we made relate in shapes, colors, and materials to the rest of Casa Batlló. As we restored each facet, we reached the essence of Gaudi’s original vision and the entire house began to achieve harmony,” adds Villanueva.
Like past restorations, this project revealed unexpected marvels—most strikingly a previously unseen, spiral-shaped structure of mixed brick and iron, a newly discovered vaulted system supporting the balconies, a groundbreaking innovation for its time.
A Family Dedicated to Heritage
The drive to restore Gaudí’s masterpiece stretches back decades. In the 1990s, Nina Bernat—CEO of Casa Batlló and mother of today’s CEO—spearheaded the first major conservation efforts, paving the way for its 2005 UNESCO World Heritage designation. Bernat, daughter of Catalan entrepreneur Enric Bernat (the inventor of Chupa Chups), who acquired the property in 1993, has remained a passionate steward of its preservation ever since.
“I’m thrilled by the path we’ve traveled together—being there from the very start and, alongside the team, rediscovering Casa Batlló’s original splendor as Gaudí imagined it. This restoration is a wondrous gift born of our dedication and love for heritage,” said Nina Bernat.
Conservation and restoration efforts continue under Gary Gautier’s leadership, with recent projects spanning the main façade, the Noble Floor’s stucco, and the grand lobby—while also recovering numerous original decorative and design details. Here you can see previous restorations.
One standout among the forthcoming restorations will be the intervention on the third floor—a heritage-rich space that once housed the Batlló family’s last descendants—and it has been backed by a €1 million restoration budget.
Sharing a Living Heritage
Stewarding a World Heritage Site also means making it accessible: the entire restoration has been captured through audio-visual means and shared through special social-media features and with on-site visitors. For example, here you can watch a series of videos about the façade restoration explained by its protagonists.
Coming soon, Casa Batlló will debut a short documentary chronicling the entire restoration process—an initiative designed to make this project accessible, educational, and engaging.
Investment in Restoration, 2024 Results & Visitor Numbers
Since 2019, Casa Batlló has committed over €25 million to heritage restoration and conservation, undertaking an ambitious program of interventions underpinned by its robust financial performance. In parallel, the institution has emerged as one of Europe’s foremost cultural landmarks, distinguished by its unwavering dedication to museological innovation.
In 2024 alone, the institution reported revenues in excess of €65 million and a net profit of €34 million, achievements underpinned by both a marked increase in visitor attendance and the diversification of its cultural programming.
Over the course of that year, Casa Batlló welcomed 1,908,070 visitors—an increase of 21 percent compared to 2023. Strategic reinvestment has been central to these accomplishments. The largest allocation, totaling €4.5 million, was directed towards restorative works on the façade, courtyard, and third floor. In addition, €735,000 was devoted to communications initiatives celebrating Barcelona’s heritage and key city-wide festivities—most notably the Christmas program, the annual projection mapping event, the Sant Jordi celebrations, and bespoke social-lighting campaigns.
Visitor demographics further attest to Casa Batlló’s global resonance: the five most represented nationalities were Italy (15 percent), Spain (14.6 percent), the United States (14.3 percent), France (8.3 percent), and the United Kingdom. Notably, markets in Asia exhibited exceptional growth, with visitor numbers from China rising by 99 percent, from Korea by 75 percent, and from Japan by 68 percent.
Collectively, these results underscore the effectiveness of Casa Batlló’s people-centred, sustainable governance model and its pioneering cultural offerings—an approach that continues to engage and inspire audiences worldwide.
Archival images of past restorations & the original building:
