AretheresecretcodeshiddeninthewallsofarchitectAntoniGaudí'smasterpiece,the
SagradaFamília?
Eachyear,millionscometomarvelattheSagradaFamília,inBarcelona,Spain.
Tourguidessaymanypeoplecrywhentheyfirstseethechurch'stoweringcolumns,
ornatestonework,andbeautifuldisplaysoflight.
JapanesearchitectHiroyaTanakathinkstherearedeepreasonswhysomany,regardless
offaith,aresomovedbyachurchwhichisfarfrom finished.
"It'snotonlyaboutreligion-it'saboutnature,thewayGaudídepictsnature,"hesays.
HiroyacametoBarcelona48yearsago.HefellinlovewithGaudí'swork,andneverleft.
It'ssaidthatJapanesetouristswereamongstthefirsttodiscoverGaudí,andalarge
proportionofthechurch'svisitorsnowcomefrom EastAsia.
HiroyasayspartofthereasonisGaudí'sdeepconnectionwithnature-whichhesays
Japanesepeopleshare.
"Japanesealwayshaveit,becausetheyliveinconstantcontactwithnatureandtalkingto
nature.AndtheJapanesefounditsuddenlyinGaudí'swork."
Infact,HiroyathinkstherearehundredsofcodeshiddenwithinGaudí'sbuilding,which
describesecretconnectionsbetweenGaudíandnature.
Gaudísaidnaturewashisgreatestteacher-likeabookwhichisalwaysopen,readyfor
ustoread.
Hischurchisfullofnaturalforms.Therearepigeonsandlittledogs,flowersandfruit-
evenachicken.Stonecolumnsriseliketreetrunks,branchingoutandcatchingbeamsof
light.
PereJordiFiguerolaoftheGaudíResearchInstitutesaysGaudíwasinspiredbyanidea
nowknownasfractaltheory,whichdescribeshowpatternsrepeatinnature.
"Wefindhereamathematicalconnection,"hesays."WhatGaudíwassayingwasthat
natureisthemostperfectthing-andwearepartofit."
PereFiguerolasaysGaudí’sblendofnatureandgeometryispartofhisgreatappeal-
becausewe,too,arepartofthenaturalworld.
"Somethingofusisinthere,ineverycurve,"hesays."That'swhyyouseeitandsay,yeah,
it'sappealingtosomethinginmyinnerlife."
Butthechurch'scurrentchiefarchitect,JordiFaulí,deniestherearesecretcodeshidden
inthestone.HesaysGaudí'smessagewasclear.
"Hewasbuildingachurchopentoallpeople,differentreligions,differentcountries,a
spaceofcontemplation,aspacetobeelevated-andalsoaspacetobenearGod."
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