Gaudí's best-kept secret revealed: at Casa Batlló and as an events space

Coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí's death and with the year of the most important modernist architect in history, Casa Batlló reinvents itself, takes a further step and shows what is Gaudí's best-kept secret because it has not been seen before. We are talking about the building's third floor, used as housing until very recently, which now opens for everyone to see, but in the form of exclusive private gatherings.

Looking back through history, it should be noted that this third floor was inhabited from 1917 by the eldest daughter of the Batlló family until 2019, when Mrs Marimon Batlló died; she was the last person to rent it.

Third Floor bookings: exclusivity for not so many

The people responsible for Casa Batlló specify that it will not be another space in the famous Casa (Barcelona's most visited building), nor will it grant entry with the general visitor ticket; instead, it will be for bookings by companies, families, events and even for spending the night in one of the rooms. Something exclusive for a few, judging by the prices already visible on the booking website (around €200 per hour), but encompassing the magic of this and other places where modernism captivates.

The secret of Casa Batlló

The third floor is today an exceptional cultural and artistic heritage site. There is a set of private rooms seeking privacy and flexibility within a unique environment. To make this possible, according to Casa Batlló, this area has been restored over a total of three years of works, based on removing multiple layers added throughout the 20th century, thus revealing the original 1906 architecture, surprisingly intact beneath these interventions.

A total area of 440 square metres has been restored to create a library, several lounges, a kitchen, facilities and even a bedroom. According to Xavier Villanueva, the architect responsible for the restoration, “Today it is a home that has been greatly transformed, but extraordinarily complete beneath the later layers. The process was almost archaeological: remove, discover and recover what was already there.”

Among the discoveries of this restoration process are hidden decorative elements that had not come to light in more than a century, such as stucco with floral motifs, and which are now visible to everyone (well, to anyone who can afford to get to them).

This work has also made it possible to recover the famous original undulating ceilings and an unprecedented handle that also provides more clues about Gaudí's original work.

An unprecedented interior-design work

The renovation involves a new twist in interior design, always respecting Gaudí's original work. Paola Navone – OTTO Studio thus understands the home as if it were its own home in Barcelona, and its work is based on an eclecticism of contrast and layering. It has therefore taken care to combine furniture, objects and handcrafted pieces that offer a story to tell: that of Gaudí's building, without leaving an iconic monument.

A monument that transforms and moves

Casa Batlló is conceived as a space that never stops. That is, it moves. In addition to exhibitions, the visit to the building itself, mapping projections and different decoration for each celebration such as Sant Jordi, it is a living place.

Those responsible for the building believe that recovering this third floor is an element that gives it a different touch: its history is retained, the building is preserved, renewed and, moreover, it enables new uses open to more people. A floor that is an evolution of the building itself, living its past and especially its present and future, adapting to the new times of the 21st century.

Where can the third floor be booked?

These rooms are intended for 2, 5, 10 and up to 20 people, always according to each room. They can now be booked for hire online on the Casa Batlló Private Rooms website: Casa Batlló Private Rooms.