New Interior for Casa Batlló Stairs & Atrium by Kengo Kuma & Associates
Kengo Kuma transforms Casa Batlló’s stairs and atrium, using aluminum curtains and light gradients to create an immersive, luminous experience.
Celebrating Mediterranean Light
Casa Batlló, one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, is a tribute to Mediterranean light—its brilliance, shadows, and sky-inspired hues. The central courtyard channels sunlight vertically, reaching even the most remote corners of the house. Kengo Kuma & Associates’ intervention enhances this natural illumination, emphasizing the vertical flow of light throughout the interior.
Designing the Stairway Experience
The project transformed an existing emergency stairway used by every visitor into an immersive spatial experience. By connecting the stair to the central patio, the design establishes a dialogue between vertical circulation and the heart of the house, turning a transitional space into an experiential journey.
Light as the Main Protagonist
Aluminum chain curtains line the stairway, capturing and reflecting light in its many forms—silhouettes, shadows, and glimmers—while eliminating distractions from materials or historical references. This abstraction allows visitors to focus entirely on the essence of light.
Gradient and Spatial Narrative
A gradient of aluminum shades transitions from bright at the rooftop to deep black in the basement, echoing the patio’s color progression. This visual narrative guides visitors from sky to ground, light to shadow, creating a new language of light within Casa Batlló.
Homage to Gaudí
While Gaudí celebrated Mediterranean light through shapes, colors, and craftsmanship, Kengo Kuma & Associates honor his legacy by exploring light in its purest form, creating a contemporary, immersive interior experience that complements the historic masterpiece.
All Photographs are works of Imagen Subliminal (Miguel de Guzmán + Rocío Romero)
