Orla Wade

Antoni Gaudí and Friedensreich Hundertwasser: Imagination and Creativity, Similarities in Architectural Style Orla Wade

The purpose of this book is to highlight similarities in the works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí and Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser. In order to examine their similarities, it was first necessary to set the work of both men in context. An overview of the lives and careers of both men provides an analysis of the influences on and theories and ideologies of both architects and highlights their most important works. It is clearly evident that both Gaudí and Hundertwasser shared some of the same ideologies, such as the importance of nature and the rejection of the straight line. Indeed their love for nature is reflected in the majority of their works. The book concludes with a comparative study of some of their works, which reveal some of the main similarities in their creations, such as the use of vivid colours, tiling, the influence of nature and natural shapes utilising inexpensive materials. In using these techniques one could argue that both Gaudí and Hundertwasser succeeded in creating a new architectural reality.