Barcelona tours: Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera

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gaudi's la pedrera picture, caption reads: Gaudi's La Pedrera towers over Paseo de Gracia. This white stoned apartment building with its wavy lines is hard to miss. Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera towers over Paseo de Gracia. This white stone apartment building with its wavy lines is hard to miss.

gaudi's la pedrera picture, caption reads: As soon as we walk through the doors we are faced with a breathtaking array of light and color. These winding steps lead us to the exhibition hall. As soon as we walk through the doors we are faced with a breathtaking array of light and color. These winding steps lead us to the exhibition hall.

gaudi's la pedrera picture, caption reads: A view of the roof from Paseo de Gracia. Those strange forms are entrances, chimneys and air vents which Gaudi transformed into sentinels. A view of the roof from Paseo de Gracia. Those strange forms are entrances, chimneys and air vents which Gaudi transformed into sentinels.

picture of gaudi's la pedrera, caption reads: Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera gives the impression of a rolling sea with gentle and constant waves disappearing into the horizon. Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera gives the impression of a rolling sea with gentle and constant waves disappearing into the horizon.

Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera

Images and Text by Gaston Magrinat. Click on any image for a larger version. I would like to thank Fundació Caixa Catalunya for their assistance with this report. Images were taken with their consent.

So much has already been written about Gaudi’s Casa Milà, more affectionately known as la Pedrera, that I will not attempt to describe what is perhaps best left to the individual to decipher for themselves. However, I will tell you that this apartment building, commissioned by the developer Pere Milá i Camps and constructed from the ground up from 1906 to 1910, will challenge your imagination, for it is unlike any other apartment building you are ever likely to encounter.

From the wonderfully stately and splendid Paseo de Gracia, a street laden with architectural treasures, Gaudi’s La Pedrera stands out as one of its crown jewels. Its undulating white stone façade, punctuated by balconies laced with a maze of beautifully worked iron, provides a contrasting surface of texture and form. Two huge doors of glass wrapped in iron invite us to enter and explore an interior, the nature of which, from the outside, we can only guess.

After passing through the doors we are immediately transported into an interior courtyard of colour and form. Gaudi, in order to maximize the natural light, painted the walls with a dark to light colour scheme. At the mouth of the courtyard, where the light is strongest, he used darker colours. As we follow the wall down to the ground the colours become lighter, reflecting more ambient light and providing more light where it is most needed.

No tour of Gaudi’s La Pedrera would be complete without a visit to the roof. The roofs of most buildings are stale and industrial, flat and square, dotted with aluminium vents and plain brick chimneys. Gaudi turned his vents and chimneys into sentinels who, through the narrow slits in their helmets, would keep permanent watch over the building’s residents. The undulating roof is tiled and dotted not only by the helmeted warriors, but also by several bulbous sculptures covered in a mosaic of white tiles. From here, you can look down into the various interior courtyards, stretch out to reach the clouds or take in the fantastic views of Paseo de Gracia.

 

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Two huge glass doors laced in iron invite us to enter Antoni Gaudi's world. You will have a hard time finding any right angles. Two huge glass doors laced in iron invite us to enter Antoni Gaudi's world. You will have a hard time finding any right angles.

picture of gaudi's la pedrera, caption reads: A visitor takes advantage of the wonderful views of the city from La Pedrera's roof. Behind her, helmeted sentinels keep a close and constant watch. A visitor takes advantage of the wonderful views of the city from La Pedrera's roof. Behind her, helmeted sentinels keep a close and constant watch.

picture of gaudi's la pedrera, caption reads: Here is a closer look at the texture of Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera. Here we can see the stone and iron work that forms the balconies. Here is a closer look at the texture of Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera. Here we can see the stone and iron work that forms the balconies.

picture of gaudi's la pedrera, caption reads: Tourists driving by on the “Bus Turistic” take a moment to look up in wonder at Gaudi's La Pedrera. Tourists driving by on the Bus Turistic take a moment to look up in wonder at Antoni Gaudi's La Pedrera.