A Brief History of the Casa Mila
The grandiose La Pedrera in Barcelona is an expressionist style building designed by renowned Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. He was commissioned by a rich businessman named Pedro Mila, who was very impressed by Gaudi's previous works such as the Casa Batllo. The result was the largest civil building ever built. The Casa Mila as it is also known is defined by a very unconventional construction style that does not employ the use of straight lines. Instead of walls, the building is supported by arches and pillars. Steel was utilized along with the convention shattering shapes to create an irregular floor plan. The heights of the pillars vary in dimension, allowing sunlight to effectively illuminate all the rooms. Each apartment is built around two courtyards that occupy the center. Each balcony consists of iron-wrought grills that were designed by Josep Maria Jujol. The interior rooms of the Casa Mila were specially designed by incorporating various Art Nouveau and expressionist styles. The most intriguing portion of the building is its roof, which appears to be straight out of a science fiction novel. It features a row of colorful chimneys that look like sci-fi characters themselves. The roof offers a spectacular view of the Eixample district. Construction of the building was completed in 1912. The Casa Mila has been deemed a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. This bronze color metal fridge magnet is a stunning miniaturization of this futuristic piece of architecture and beautifully captures its wave shaping balconies and unusual contours.
Why Visit The Casa Mila?
Apart from being a World Heritage Site, the Casa Mila is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating structures ever built. The fact that the entire facade was built sans the presence of straight lines, makes it an engineering feet in itself. The shape and design of the balcony was inspired by waves, while the iron-wrought grills have been crafted exquisitely to depict various underwater plants. The undulating stone structures give the onlooker an illusion of movement, which is in sharp contrast to its stationery build material.