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The extraordinary, fantastical world conjured by Antoni Gaudí is firmly in the spotlight this year, which marks the centenary of the famed Catalan architect’s death in 1926. Adding to the occasion is the impending completion of his long-awaited magnum opus, Barcelona’s Sagrada Família, which has been under construction for 144 years.
However, another one of Gaudí’s most recognizable creations just reached its own milestone: The painstaking restoration of Casa Batlló, its third floor in particular, is now complete. The color-soaked interiors offer a vivid reminder that the architect’s genius extended far beyond spectacular facades.
Claudia Mauriño
La Sala de Convidats on the third floor of Casa Batlló features a blue marble table and a mix of vintage pieces.
Known as Barcelona’s “House of Bones,” Casa Batlló earns its nickname at first glance. The five-story landmark resembles something from a fairytale, with a sinuous exterior featuring skeletal balconies, shimmering mosaics, iridescent dragon-scale tiles, floral stone ornamentation, and a cupola topped with a four-armed cross.
In 1906, Gaudí transformed an existing residential building into what today is Casa Batlló, masterminding the exteriors and interiors in his signature style of Catalan Modernisme. For over a century, the Batlló family occupied the third floor of the structure, even while other renovations and modernizations happened throughout the building. UNESCO named the structure a World Heritage Site in 2005.
Claudia Mauriño
The entry to the apartment from the lightwell, which Gaudí sheathed in azure tile work.
In 2023, the Board of Casa Batlló began the meticulous process of renovating the entire third floor. They took a methodical approach akin to an archeological dig in which layers were stripped away to reveal Gaudí’s original vision. The team included Milan-based interior designer Paola Navone of OTTO Studio as well as Xavier Villanueva as lead restoration architect.
Claudia Mauriño
An emerald mosaic bar and Calvet armchairs decorate one of the smaller rooms in the apartment.
“At first, I felt that intervening in Casa Batlló was almost impossible,” said Navone in a statement. “Everything changed when I stopped thinking about designing over Gaudí and started imagining that this residence was my own home in Barcelona.”
The project included restoring the apartment’s original woodwork and flooring, as well as reproducing floral stuccoes and intricate ceiling details with the help of artisans. The team also uncovered original doors that Gaudí had repurposed, which points toward his interest in adaptive reuse—a theme woven throughout the original project. A previously unknown door handle also resurfaced amid the update, further proof of the architect’s attention to the smallest of details.
Claudia Mauriño
El Vestidor is a former transition space within the home.
Perhaps best of all, the private rooms are now available to book for special events through Casa Batlló’s online portal.
In addition, the second floor of Casa Batlló is now hosting an exhibition put on by Casa Batlló Contemporary and Fundació Joan Miró. Open through January 2027, “Gaudí-Miró-Gomis: Deconstructed” explores the links between Gaudí, artist Joan Miró, and photographer Joaquim Gomis. The show also features digital interventions from Tomorrow Bureau that aim to further contextualize the work of the three creative masters.
Inside Casa Batlló’s Restored Third Floor
Open Gallery
Geoffrey Montes is an associate editor at ELLE Decor with a serious love for all things real estate and design. Before that, he worked at Architectural Digest, Galerie, and Preservation magazines, covering everything from jaw-dropping listings to world-famous architects and design events like Salone del Mobile and Homo Faber.