Barcelona is famous for its architecture and the creativity its architects brought to building construction from the late 1800s to the 1920s.
With its playful rooftop chimneys resembling warriors, Casa Milà –also known as La Pedrera — is a favorite to tour.
Casa Milà , a building of wavy curves seemingly out of place among the grid format in Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, is one of architect Antoni Gaudi’s masterpieces.
Casa Milí does not contain a straight line, right angle, or interior load-bearing wall. The building is supported by concrete and steel webbing.
Casa Milí does not contain a straight line. Photo by David Iliff.
Businessman Pere Milà I Camps commissioned Gaudi to create a Modernista house to “surpass” other prominent houses in the neighborhood. Casa Milí was built during 1905 – 1910, and officially completed in 1912.
Unpopular when built
While Casa Milà is viewed today as one of Gaudi’s best works, like many cutting-edge designs, it was ridiculed when it was built in the early part of the 20th Century. At the time, locals nicknamed the house La Pedrera (“the quarry” in Catalan) because of its use of vast amounts of stone.
An interior courtyard, open through the roof, allows natural light into Casa Milí .
One of Barcelona’s top attractions
In the early 1980s, Casa Mila was in disrepair. It was acquired by Caixa Catalunya, a Catalan bank headquartered in Barcelona. The bank financed the restoration, establishing a cultural and exhibition center in the building.
Today, the eight-floor building houses some private apartment but the other parts are open to the public and may be toured by purchasing a ticket.
Touring Casa Mila
Touring the attic of Casa Milí .
The tour begins in the attic, formerly the laundry, where brick arches form a Gothic cathedral-like ceiling. Here, an exhibit of Gaudi’s life and work, including some of his architectural drawings and models of his buildings.
The Apartments
Next on the tour, stairs lead to a pair of apartments, reconstructed with the furnishings of a typical Modernista apartment in the early 20th Century. This part of the tour gives a feel for daily life of the wealthy in Barcelona a hundred years ago.
The Roof Terrace
Our favorite part of Casa Mila is the rooftop terrace, where surreal chimneys and ventilations shafts resemble medieval warriors. Rather than being flat, the rooftop curves like waves in an ocean. The roof showcases Gaudi’s aesthetic of making functional items fun.
The spires of Gaudi’s Sagrada Família church are part of the rooftop view from Casa Milí .
As you walk among the rooftop statuses, a skyline view of Barcelona unfolds. In the distance the spires of Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Família church stick out in the skyline.
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