Vitrine en encoignure
This piece conjures up the spirit of the Casa Batlló in Barcelona, which Gaudí worked on between 1904 and 1906. The industrialist José Batlló had asked him to redesign one of his houses, built in 1877 by the architect Luis Sala Sanchez. The changes made by Gaudí resulted in architectural shapes never seen before.
The interior of the apartment retained by the owner on the second floor was animated by the same undulating rhythm running through the façade. The rooms, from which all flat surfaces and right angles were banished, followed on like organic cells. The wood panelling, window frames and furniture merged with the walls.
The glass-fronted cupboard in the dining room, a remarkable room, is a fine example of this perfect integration. It is another organic growth looming out of the wall animating the interior space. The subtle convexity of its surface and the carving out of the panels echo the vertical bays on the first two levels of the façade.
