The fantastic works of Antoni Gaudí and the Amsterdam School still appeal to the imagination. And although the architects never met each other, they were children of the same period. They looked for beauty and individuality in a world which was becoming increasingly functional and impersonal.

At the heart of their designs are nature and its organic forms, craftsmanship and traditional materials. At the same time, though, they did not turn their backs on modernity, embracing new techniques an...