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Casa Batlló recovers its last original residence after three years of restoration
Barcelona has just recovered one of the most exclusive and little-known spaces in Casa Batlló. After three years of restoration, the building’s third floor once again shows how Antoni Gaudí imagined a modernist home in the early XX century, after decades hidden beneath accumulated renovations and alterations over time.
The reopening is a rare event even for an icon as visited as Casa Batlló. Until 2019, descendants of the family linked to the property were still living in this 400-square-metre flat, located right on Passeig de Gràcia. Now, the space is no longer a private residence and becomes one of the most unique places in Barcelona’s heritage, open to exclusive experiences and events.
The restoration has made it possible to recover original elements designed by Gaudí in 1906. Decorated ceilings, woodwork, flooring, and lighting systems have reappeared after an almost artisanal process in which restorers and specialists removed layers added over decades. Among the most striking discoveries is even a previously undocumented handle that had never before been recorded inside the building.
The new space will combine heritage with contemporary uses. The floor will host private gatherings, dinners, and gastronomic experiences designed for small groups, following a trend increasingly visible in Barcelona: transforming historic buildings into immersive spaces where architecture, culture, and premium leisure blend into a single experience.
The intervention also reflects how the city is trying to keep its heritage alive beyond traditional tourism. In contrast to the quick, mass-visit model, places like Casa Batlló aim to offer more exclusive and emotional experiences, where visitors not only observe Gaudí’s work but can explore it almost as if it were still inhabited.
Right on Passeig de Gràcia, surrounded by luxury shops, hotels, and heavy tourist flows, Casa Batlló continues to serve as one of Barcelona’s most recognisable symbols. Its ability to reinvent itself without losing its identity also reinforces the role of modernism as one of the city’s great cultural and visual hallmarks.
The recovery of this residence also returns something important to Barcelona: the sense that some historic buildings still hide spaces capable of surprising, even in a city used to living daily with Gaudí’s work.