Say Happy Birthday to Antoni Gaudí With These Eye-Twisting Designs

Today Antoni Gaudí, the father of modern Catalan architecture, would be 160. The creator of Spain’s most legit, most Toon-Town designs, was the same man who apparently appeared as a beggar (and thus not worth taking to the hospital) when he walked across a busy street — on his way to church — and was hit by a Barcelona tram and died in 1926.

I’ve been in the Catalonian capital a few times, and it’s always a bit of an acid trip when walking along Passeig de Gràcia, gazing up at the buildings he put there. It was especially nice on my last visit, a rainy morning with no tourists snapping pictures: usually this is the case. I once encountered a Spanish girl taking pictures of the people peering up, taking pictures; she explained this as an art project. No need to crease your neck, just scroll along and enjoy this round-up of my favorite twists and turns.