La Pedrera
If I could choose to live in any time period (albeit with today’s conveniences), it would be the time when Antoni Gaudí was alive just so he could design the perfect house for me. Of course, I would also have to get Frank Lloyd Wright to work with him since he’s my other architectural idol — imagine what the two of them could have done together! Since both were proponents of what’s considered ‘Organic Architecture,’ I’d like to think they could have been great friends. It is no wonder I’m so drawn to their designs.
In 2013 I was lucky enough to visit Casa Battló here in Barcelona. Our apartment was a block away from it and the dragon-like roof beckoned daily. How could we resist? We spent half a day inside that marvel. The other building that has had my attention for many years is, of course, Casa Milà, also known as La Pedrera (the Quarry), which stands proudly a few blocks north up the Passeig de Gràcia. If you’ve ever been in my bedroom, you would have seen, above my bed, a mural painted with the help of my great friend, Esther: it is a replica, in a way, of the massive iron entrance gate of La Pedrera. Neither in 2011 nor 2013 was I able to visit it, so it was definitely on the top of my list this time around.
As you look at this building, it is impossible to ignore the sheer size of it (something that upset the city officials and neighbours when it was first built). The other thing you can’t ignore is its whimsy: concrete and wrought iron have never looked so lovely. What was even lovelier was the total lack of people lined up to see it (and the line-up was the reason we didn’t go in back in 2013). At my appointed time, together with a handful of other visitors, I was allowed into the belly of the beast. And what a wonderful beast it is. Not a straight line to be seen anywhere. As the helpful guide (on my phone) told me, this building was built by Pere Milà and his wife, Roser Segimon, and it was to be Gaudí’s last commercial building; after La Pedrera he concentrated only on La Sagrada Familia until his untimely death.
The main courtyard provides some amazing views; it also showcases the private staircase that leads to the Milà family residence on the second floor (or first, since they count floors funny over here, lol). Their suite covered all of the main floor (some 1323m2) and the other floors were split into four units each. I wish I could have been able to see that main suite, and apparently it is possible when there are exhibitions staged there. I was told I would be able to see it but, alas, by the time I came down after the tour, it was closed. I do wish people communicated information better, but that’s a “Random Thoughts” post for another day. I also thought that there were still private and commercial tenants in the building, but as I just found out, there is only one remaining private tenant left. Check out this fascinating story about what it’s like to live in a World Heritage building visited by about a million people in a (normal) year. To be honest, I’d be willing to put up with all those tourists just to live in this amazing building.
I probably should have done some stair-climbing training ahead of this visit: the eight (8) stories were not easy to conquer via a narrow, airless staircase with a mask on (!) and no handy clues as to how much longer this agony was going to last. Yeah, I’m not keen on lots of stairs but I did manage to make it to the top and what a top it is! I’m sure most of you have seen pictures of that amazing rooftop terrace: the soldier-like chimneys and air vents and undulating walkways. There are little steps everywhere and since I was a little oxygen-deprived after my climb, I have to say I didn’t feel all that stable up there. Holding my phone up to take pictures took all the concentration I had and I was petrified I’d drop the damn thing at any moment. Then I walked over to a part of the terrace where I was served a lovely chilled glass of cava (that’s Spanish sparkling wine, if you didn’t know). Imagine how steady I was after that! 🙂
The attic was next. It was wonderfully cool there, and the space itself was stunning. Gaudí really knew what he was doing. The innovation and clarity of vision that he had was absolutely amazing. Nothing was left to chance: from how to bring light into every nook and cranny of the building, how to account for the Catalonian heat through practical but oh-so-ingenious air vents, to how to make the tenants live as a community forcing them to meet frequently by putting elevator access on every other floor. He also built La Pedrera with no internal weight-bearing walls so the tenants could alter their living spaces however they wished. The man was truly ahead of his time.
There is one apartment set aside for public viewing and it is decorated in the style of the 1910s. While wondering through it you can see how fluid the movement of people and light would have been. The rooms are always adjacent to the meandering corridor which abuts one of the two large internal courtyards and their large windows. I’ve included photos of the apartment in the Gallery though they really don’t do the space justice. It’s so hard to capture the flow and lightness of it. Each of the four apartments has windows on the main façade on Passeig de Gràcia, and then they snake around to the back of the building in very intriguing ways. I do wonder what it would be like to live there … heavenly, most likely. I’ve been trying to find out who else owns/rents space in this building now but I’m not having much luck. I do hope that whoever they are, they appreciate the space they work/exist in and if they don’t, I’ll happily replace them!
Inspired by this magnificent building, I walked along Avinguda Diagonal all the way home. There are many very beautiful edifices along this avenue so it’s a good thing I managed to not trip or bump into anyway along the way (looking up all the time can be a hazard). I did make a little detour into a fancy-looking home furnishings store, Pilma, where I found a number of items I would love to have in my own home. Unfortunately, they did not have a Lucy-proof fabric for this one couch I particularly liked so I guess I won’t be buying anything there just yet, lol.
