More Than 350,000 Visitors in Japan: The Gaudí Foundation Launches Its Most Ambitious International Project to Share Antoni Gaudí’s Legacy

A New Narrative About Antoni Gaudí

For decades, Gaudí has been known above all for his buildings. Yet the Foundation had spent years working on a different reflection: what if his true legacy were not only his works, but his way of thinking?

"Gaudí: Back to the Origins" is born precisely from that question. The exhibition offers a journey through the architect's life, philosophy and creative process, showing how nature, observation, craftsmanship, spirituality and the deep study of materials were the origin of all his work.

More than an architectural exhibition, it is an experience about creativity: an invitation to understand that innovation is not about inventing from scratch, but about returning to the origins to discover new answers. As Gaudí himself put it:

Originality consists of returning to the origin.

This idea becomes the conceptual axis of the entire exhibition.

An Immersive Experience for All Audiences

To convey this message, the Foundation developed a completely new format that combines heritage, design, technology and outreach. The journey brings together large-scale audiovisual and immersive installations; large-format projection mapping; interactive spaces; artificial intelligence applied to design, inspired by Gaudí's creative method; certified reproductions of original works; historical pieces and previously unseen documentation; sensory installations; and a space dedicated to Gaudí's contemporary legacy.

The result is an experience capable of moving both those discovering the architect for the first time and the most seasoned connoisseurs of his work.

Tokyo and Osaka: A Success With Public and Critics

The exhibition began its international tour in Tokyo, where it sparked enormous interest among the Japanese public. It then travelled to Osaka, where it once again exceeded attendance expectations and earned an extraordinary reception from visitors, institutions and specialised media.

Between the two cities, it reached more than 350,000 visitors, becoming one of the largest international projects the Foundation has driven to date. Beyond its public success, the exhibition generated new collaborations with Japanese universities, cultural institutions, technology companies and educational bodies, extending its impact far beyond the exhibition space itself.

Much More Than an Exhibition

One of the aspects that sets this project apart is that it was never conceived as an isolated event. The Foundation understands each city as the beginning of a cultural ecosystem. Around the exhibition it develops educational programmes; workshops for students and professionals; family activities; collaborations with local artists; research projects; design inspired by Gaudí's methodology; gastronomic experiences; technological initiatives; certified products; and new forms of public participation.

The goal is for Gaudí's legacy to dialogue with contemporary creativity and to generate new cultural, educational and economic opportunities in every country.

An International Platform for Gaudí's Legacy

The exhibition is only the first step of a much broader international strategy. Over the coming years, the Foundation will keep bringing the project to new countries in Asia and, later, to other continents, building a global network of spaces where Gaudí's thinking can inspire new generations.

After Japan, the tour will continue with new international venues, starting in Seoul and then travelling to Taipei, Singapore and other cities across Asia. Each new city will add its own content, local collaborations and new experiences, while always keeping the same philosophy: to use the figure of Antoni Gaudí as a tool to promote creativity, innovation, heritage and dialogue between cultures.

The Legacy Keeps Expanding

For the Gaudí Foundation, preserving the architect's legacy does not only mean conserving his buildings. It means keeping his thinking alive. It means bringing his values closer to new generations. It means showing that the ideas that inspired Gaudí more than a century ago remain remarkably relevant for facing the challenges of the 21st century.

The success in Japan confirms that there is enormous international interest in understanding not only what Gaudí built, but also how he thought. That is precisely the path the Foundation will keep following in the years ahead.

Because Gaudí's true legacy does not belong to Barcelona alone. It belongs to the world.