Welcome to Antonio Gaudi's fantastic Casa Milà, more commonly known as La Pedrera.
This wonderfully strange building was constructed between 1906 and 1910, a key time in the history
of Barcelona as the city opened up to modernization.
It was also a period where the Art Nouveau was at its peak.
It is a style of art and architecture which embraces vivid decorative shapes and prefers
curves over straight lines.
The movement spread all over the world, even to the strict catholic and rather old-fashioned
Catalan region.
One of the movement's front figures became the Barcelona based architect Antonio Gaudi.
This building is rated as, not only one of Antonio Gaudi's most intriguing and spectacular
buildings, but as a crown jewel of the whole Art Nouveau movement.
The building was commissioned as a residence by Pedro Milà, a wealthy businessman who
had been enchanted by one of Gaudi's previous buildings, the Casa Battló.
What he ended up with was an even more unconventional building, as Gaudi took his creativity one
step further.
His design was so unorthodox that even the local government objected to some aspects
of the project, as it didn't follow the normal building codes.
The building was originally named Casa Milà, based on the founder of the house, but it
is more known as "La Pedrera", meaning "the Quarry".
The nickname was given to the house already during the construction phase, when the crowds
saw the beginning of the strange stone structure.
Gaudi's building plan completely broke away from the norm of the Eixample district of
Barcelona.
He used a new and audacious building structure, supported by columns of stone and brick and
an incorporated steel web instead of relying on load-bearing walls.
This gave Gaudi total freedom over the distribution of each floor, leaving him free to create
completely irregular floor plans where even the height of the pillars and ceilings could
vary.
Even though Gaudi's building technique was unique, he, and this building in particular,
is most known for extraordinary shapes.
If you look at the enchanting façade you will see an impressive, varied and harmonious
mass of undulating stone without any real straight lines.
Gaudi is said to have envisioned the facade as a petrified wave.
Many people think it is the hardness and solidity of the material in contrast with the sensation
of movement in these waves that makes the façade so spectacular.
Gaudi's ocean theme is further evident when you look at the balconies.
The balconies are beautifully decorated with exquisitely crafted iron, depicting underwater
plants and vegetation.
If you take a closer look at them, you can almost see how the vegetation is moving along
with the water.
If you look at the sidewalk next to the building you'll also see that it is covered in starfish
ceramic tiles.
The magnificent façade, together with the interior marine decorations, makes up a fantastic
underwater landscape.
While the façade and the interior of the building is wonderful, one shouldn't forget
what can be found on the rooftop.
On the roof you can find chimneys and ventilation just as on any other roof.
These are however designed by Gaudi in true Gaudi fashion with extraordinary shapes and
vivid imagination.
The unique components are made of broken tile shard mosaic, Ulldecona stone, marble and
ceramics.
There is also a level difference and several staircases on the roof, which makes it look
more like a landscape than a rooftop.
The staircases and chimneys have long fascinated visitors.
The rooftop and its figures have been interpreted in many different ways; some have seen them
as phantasmagorical figures and warriors while others have seen it as a dream landscape.
The roof-terrace also offers a nice view over the area, so I can highly recommend it.
La Pedrera is owned by the Catalonian Bank Caixa Catalunya, who bought, restored and
opened up the building to tourists in the mid 1980ies.
It has today become the head office of their cultural foundation which annually hosts a
variety of exhibitions and cultural events.
The building is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage List and it is the last example of
Gaudi's civil architecture.
It is considered one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture.