The fantastic roof (the covering of the Palau Güell)

Abstract

The covering of the PaIau Güell, twenty ventilation or smoke chimneys-of brick or decorated with tiles, glass, marble or porcelain- and four shell-like lunettes, escort the beautiful needle containing the lantern which illuminates the central salon of the building. It is not a case however, in its general conception, of a unique covering, but rather of a traditional roof whose normal components Gaudí has reinterpreted with plastic imagination. The restoration project of the roof, directed by the authors of this article, contemplates the enhancement of all the elements and the illumination for night-time viewing of this suggestive Gaudinian landscape. The project is planned in such a way so as not to interfere with the unique character of this covering, an attractive mixture of a household terrace and an outdoor sculpture museum.