Barcelona - Casa Milà (La Pedrera)

The Casa Milà, situated on a corner site at the crossing of the Passeig de Gràcia with the Carrer de Provença, is the last and most famous secular building of Antoni Gaudí. In the design of this multi-story dwelling block he departed completely from established principles of construction, so that the result resembles a piece of sculpture rather than a functional building. The observer will search in vain for absolute straight lines; instead the facade of carved natural stone displays rounded windows, metal balcony railings twining around in plant-like shapes and a curved roof-line on which the many chimneys confer a formal rather than a functional character. The complete building is grouped around two oval-shaped air wells. Even when it was being erected the building aroused passionate controversy: serious differences arose between Gaudí and his client Milà i Camps-Segimon on account of the long construction period and the alterations which Gaudí continually kept putting off making. It was also not long before the building acquired the derisive nick-name of "Pedrera" (quarry). Recently the facade was thoroughly cleaned and the rest of the building is at present being restored. On the ground floor there are offices of the Caixa de Catalunya, which is responsible for the conservation of the building, and some shops. The interior of the building is not open to the general public.

By following a guided tour the visitor can see the patios, terrace and roof of the Casa Milà. The entrance is on the Carrer de Provença, from which the inner courtyard is reached through a remarkable wrought-iron gate. A narrow stairway leads up to the roof truss. Its load-bearing construction of narrow tiled ribs running in vertical parallel arches bears witness to Gaudí's genius as a structural engineer. The roof area itself is then reached, with its numerous strangely shaped chimneys partly covered in mosaics. A walk around up here also rewards the visitor with beautiful views across the city (the Sagrada Família in the distance to the northeast).