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La Pedrera
La Pedrera

A kilometer or so west of the Sagrada Família is another of Antoni Gaudí’s works, a distinctive building popularly known as La Pedrera ("the quarry"). Principal construction of the building took place between 1906 and 1910, but it was not certified as complete until 1912. It's officially known as Casa Milà, after Pere Milà, the wealthy developer who enlisted Gaudí to build it. It was designed as something of a hybrid building - partly a residence for the Milà family, and partly a block of apartments to be rented out. It was originally supposed to include quite a bit of religiously-themed ornamentation (including large statues of the Virgin Mary and archangels), but this plan ran afoul of local building codes and a then-prevailing trend of anticlericalism, so these elements ended up being largely excluded. Gaudí came close to quitting the project because of these exclusions, but was fortunately talked out of it by a priest. For more background on the building, and more, see the official La Pedrera website.

We emerged from the "Diagonal" Metro station and walked to a vantage point across the street from the building. Overall, the building looks a little like it was made from wax and left out in the sun too long. Architectural elements involving straight lines are not in evidence – no doubt Gaudí's trademark emulation of structures found in nature (also much in evidence at the Sagrada Família). Covering the façade were many balconies, with wrought-iron railings that looked as though they were made from pieces of scrap metal, twisted and randomly welded together. These were apparently the work of the architect Josep Maria Jujol, who worked with Gaudí and contributed a number of decorative elements to the building. Also somewhat visible from across the street were some very odd-looking chimneys emerging from the roof. More tantalizing details to reinforce our determination to see what was inside this unusual building.

Roof with Tourists
Roof with Tourists
Façade with Details
Façade with Details

Balconies
Balconies
South Façade
South Façade

Balconies from Below
Balconies from Below

Though there are still private residents of La Pedrera, public access to parts of the building is available. You have to stand in a line and buy tickets, though. The line wasn't too long, but it was pretty slow – we ended up waiting about half an hour. When we got in, we started out in a fairly narrow courtyard which was open to the sky and had an unusual color scheme with striking painted details (apparently another Jujol contribution).
Courtyard
Courtyard
Courtyard Stairway
Courtyard Stairway

Painted Ceiling
Painted Ceiling
Painted Ceiling
Painted Ceiling

We took an elevator to the first stop of the unguided tour, a small museum in the attic. Here we found exhibits showing some of Gaudí's inspirations from nature, scale models and even Gaudí-designed furniture.
Nella and Tourists
Nella and Tourists

Nella Taking Picture
Nella Taking Picture
"Paraboloids" Hanging from Ceiling

Tree with Branches
Tree with Branches
Pinecones and Corn Cobs
Pinecones and Corn Cobs

Snake Skeleton and Shells
Snake Skeleton and Shells
Gaudí-Designed Chairs
Gaudí-Designed Chairs

We then proceeded to the next stop – the roof. Here we found ourselves in a forest of the weirdest chimneys we'd ever seen. Undoubtedly some of the chimneys weren't really chimneys (some of them were probably vents, and some things looked like they might just be access points for stairways), but all were unique and displayed Gaudí's attention to detail.
Chimneys
Chimneys
The Roof
The Roof

Nella and Roof
Nella and Roof
Chimney Group
Chimney Group

Bob with Chimneys
Bob with Chimneys
The Roof
The Roof

Courtyard Windows and Roof
Courtyard Windows and Roof
Chimneys and Sagrada Família
Chimneys and Sagrada Família

The Roof
The Roof
Nella and Chimneys
Nella and Chimneys

We could also see down into the building's courtyards, giving us a different vantage point.
Courtyard
Courtyard

And being on the roof, we also had a pretty good view of part of Barcelona.
Sagrada Família
Sagrada Família

Our next stop was a many-roomed apartment which was furnished and kept in a condition to exhibit the living situation of an early 20th Century bourgeois family.
Dining Room
Dining Room
Bed
Bed

View from Balcony
View from Balcony
Typewriter
Typewriter

Lace
Lace
Window with Lace Curtains
Window with Lace Curtains

Kitchen Table
Kitchen Table
Stove
Stove

Recreational Equipment
Recreational Equipment
Maid's Quarters
Maid's Quarters

Ironing Board and Sewing Machine
Ironing Board and Sewing Machine
Small Stove with Irons
Small Stove with Irons

Children's Playroom
Children's Playroom
Children's Clothes
Children's Clothes

The tour ended, we returned to the courtyard, on ground level.
Nella and Exit Gate
Nella and Exit Gate

We emerged from the building and found ourselves back on the main street, the Passeig de Gràcia. This street is interesting in its own right, being the site of a number of other architectural experiments from the early 20th Century. We turned left and started walking.