6. The Gaudi Hotel
Gaudi is most well known for his Art Nouveau and Art Moderne styles fantasies that decorate Barcelona and the City’s Sagrada Familia Basilica. Two American businessmen sought to add a building based on Gaudi’s unique vision to the New York City skyline. In response to their request, Gaudi designed multiple sketches of an 980 to 1,100 foot high hotel called the Hotel Atraccion (Hotel Attraction).
Had the hotel been built, it would have been the tallest building in New York City, containing an exhibition hall, conference rooms, a theater, and five dining rooms, symbolizing the five continents. and therefore in the United States. Ultimately the plan was abandoned and all that survives are the conceptual sketches by Juan Matemala. Gaudi’s building was featured in an episode of the television show Fringe and the design for his hotel was submitted for the contest to decide what should be built in Lower Manhattan on the site of the World Trade Center.