Architect Antoni Gaudi's works can be found all over Barcelona. His last civil design, and some would say his most famous piece, is La Pedrera (The Quarry)...also known as Casa Mila. Built between 1906 and 1912, it created quite a stir because of its curvy facade. The Mila family commissioned Gaudi to design this immense structure, with the idea that they would reside on the fourth floor, and rent out all of the rest of the building. The square footage of the Mila apartment is more than double that of a typical American home. It is huge! After having been exposed to Gaudi's designs in other areas of Barcelona, it is easy to recognize this building as being designed by him; the undulating lines of the facade, the Catalan symbolisms in the motifs, and the very typical Gaudi Chimney vents. One tip to be aware of, the ticket office for a tour of this building is around the corner and not in the front entrance as in most of the other attractions. Plan on allocating at least 1.5 to 2 hours to see everything. You will not regret it.
Gaudi's very distinctive design style is evident in one of his most famous works, La Pedrera ( "The Quarry"), or more formally known as Casa Mila. The Quarry nickname came about because all the stonework used in this construction came from the family's quarry
The central staircase takes you up to the fourth floor Mila apartment.
Scale model of the building.
Even the hallway has curves in it. (We loved the rug here).
While the dining room is not large compared to others we have seen, this is certainly elegant.
The open floor plan between the living and dining rooms does give the impression of spaciousness.
I thought the butterfly look of the headboard in this bedroom was unique.
Even this child's room is bigger than many master bedrooms.
Having built a doll house for our daughter that was almost as large as this one, I can appreciate the work that went into it.
The bathroom was also designed on a large scale.
The maid's quarters were not quite so spacious. Rank certainly does have its privileges.
We found it interesting to see the service areas open to the public, which we did not see in the other homes we visited.
Preparing food on this stove for the Mila family must have been interesting ...
...another portion of the kitchen, this just next to the stove area in the previous picture...
...and this is where the servants ate.
The attic area, with its 270 catenary brick arches, once served as a laundry for the building.
Gaudi was noted for his unique chimney vent designs. You can clearly see the undulating lines to the roof in this picture.
Gaudi's unconventional approach to his chimney vents led some to speculate that they inspired the look of the Star Wars Storm Troopers. You be the judge.
In any event, they do make you notice them.
The world travelers made it to the roof. Where do we go from here?
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