When we arrived at Gaudí’s, Casa Milà, popularly known as ‘La Pedrera’ (the stone quarry), the lines were long, and it was expensive to get in – so we hummed and ahhed for a while about going in, but we eventually decided to go for it. And boy we were not disappointed.
The building was commissioned in 1906 by businessman Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimon. At the time, it was controversial because of its undulating stone facade, twisting wrought-iron balconies and windows designed by Josep Maria Jujol. Several structural innovations include a self-supporting stone front, columns and floors free of load-bearing walls, an underground garage and the most amazing rooftop sculptures.
In 1984, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is still a working building and is occupied by several businesses, but areas – including the roof – are open to the public.
The tour itself is self-guided, which in my opinion is a perfect way to do a tour because you can do them at your own pace – also at heart, I am an introvert and like to avoid any unnecessary interaction with people. Karen prefers the tours with a real guide because you can ask lots of questions and find out the life history of your fellow tourists.
We started on the ground floor in one of the central atriums which Gaudí designed to allow each room in the building to have light from both sides, so they were bright and airy inside. The design work was stunning and is all curves and there is not a straight edge to be seen! The next stop is the roof, which we reached by climbing stairs … our exercise for the day. Fortunately, it was just a five-storey building!