Friday, June 6, 2014

Barcelona, Day 4: La Pedrera

After lunch, we walked on Passeig de Gràcia back and forth to find La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà. Then someone pointed to a building that was completely covered. Just our luck, the exterior of La Pedrera was under restoration. The staff said it started out last year and will last the whole year in 2014. We still decided to go in anyway. The line wasn't too bad in the afternoon, about 15 minutes wait.

The model of La Pedrera
The iron gate of the entrance

The self-supporting stone façade composed of curtain walls and steel structure was considered groundbreaking at the time. The iron gate of the entrance is an example of iron decoration used quite often by Gaudi. The roof of the stairway resembles a dragon's wing. The open atrium makes the apartment look airier.

The rooftop

The most interesting part of the building has to be the rooftop. You can even see Sagrada Familia and Torre Agbar from the rooftop. However, it is not easy to walk as the stairs are deep. But the rooftop surely looks very intriguing. Gaudi's casas are like livable sculptures. How functional should a livable sculpture be? I guess that depends on each individual. There is no right answer.

Chimneys and four skylights/staircase exits
The garden of warriors
These chimneys, named "the garden of warriors" by the poet Pere Gimferrer, have different facial expressions. None of them look the same. Gaudi beautified these building utilities and made them look like decorative elements.

The loft
The loft with catenary arches holds exhibitions. It's an interesting space. You can find the models of Gaudi's church, casas and park.

La Pedrera Visitor Information

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