How Gaudí's hanging models at Colònia Güell pioneered parametric design

Summary

This article from the Gaudí Centenary series explores the Church of Colònia Güell, where Antoni Gaudí first developed his revolutionary hanging models (funicular models) using weighted strings and mirrors. These models allowed him to calculate optimal structural forms through gravity, creating a catenary arch system that distributed weight efficiently. The church, though left incomplete after the Güell family withdrew funding, became a crucial precursor to Gaudí's later masterpiece, the Sagrada Família. The article positions Gaudí's method as an early form of parametric design, where form follows structural forces rather than aesthetic whims, and traces how this approach influenced contemporary parametric architecture.