The Casa Mila also known as La Pedrera or The Quarry, is located in Barcelona, Spain.
The Casa Mila was constructed between 1906 and 1912 by Antoni Gaudi, and it one his last buildings, before he completely dedicated himself to the Sagrada Familia.
It was commissioned in 1906 by a wealthy businessman Pere Mila i Camps and his wife Roser Segimon i Artells.
The Casa Mila was made in art nouveau style. It is a style of art and architecture which embraces vivid decorative shapes and prefers curves over straight lines.
The entire facade is made of natural stone, with white ceramic tiles around the upper edge of the building.
Gaudi designed the Casa Mila exclusively with natural forms, in result not a single right angle can be found.
Access is protected by a massive gate iron with a design attributed to Jujol, it was common for people and cars, where access to the garage in the basement, now a in auditorium.
The two halls are fully polychrome with paintings oil on plaster surface, showing a repertoire eclectic references mythology and flowers.
Areas open to the public are the attic, rooftop and top floor. The top floor apartment gives visitors an idea of what the interior looked like at the start of the twentieth century.
The main floor is the former residence of the Mila’s. It was opened as an exhibition hall in 1992. The vestibule staircase, with its strips of twisted wrought-ironwork, is decorated with mural paintings that in some places reflect Gaudí’s trencadís hallmark.
An interesting fact is that Gaudi only put lifts on every 2nd floor because he wanted the people who lived in the flats to get to know each other, the idea was thet the people on different floors should communicate with one another.
Composed of 270 parabolic brick arches of varying height, the spine-like rib structure creates a varied topography of attic.
Casa Mila have a spectacular roof.
On the roof stands 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 all look more like a landscape than a rooftop.
Casa Mila is one of the most fascinating buildings in the world.
For its uniqueness, artistic and heritage value have received major recognition and in 1984 was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, for its exceptional universal value.