Gaudí's La Pedrera, or Casa Milà

La Pedrera, even though it’s a tourist hotspot with staggering queues at certain times of day, is a must-see in Barcelona. As well as being one of the city’s most iconic buildings, its roof terrace offers indescribable views, along with its own completely timeless decoration which, at 100 years old, still looks futuristic.

La Pedrera, commissioned from Antoni Gaudí by the Milà family, to whom it owes its original name, was finally completed in 1912.

Gaudí, one of the architectural geniuses who adorned Barcelona at the start of the 20th century, and a passionate lover of natural structures, tried to reflect glimpses of life in his work, following his belief that all these forms met practical needs for protection, strength and compactness. The façade, which was mocked and joked about in its day, is made entirely of limestone from Vilafranca and is said to recall the waves of the sea, while the roof, covered in white tiles, brings to mind snow-capped mountains. The attic, built using catenary arches, resembles the skeleton of a snake and was where the laundry rooms used to be. On the rooftop Gaudí combined function and beauty to create a group of towers that still serve today as chimneys, smoke outlets or ventilation shafts. Here they remind us of warriors’ helmets, as the poet Pere Gimferrer describes in one of his works.

On the visit, as well as the rooftop and the attic, you can go into a flat decorated in the Catalan Art Nouveau (Modernisme) style, which shows how a middle-class family lived at the start of the 20th century. Gaudí liked to take charge of the whole thing, so he also had a hand in designing the furniture.

Tucked away in corners of La Pedrera you can find religious symbols, which Gaudí used in most of his buildings. For example, on the façade you can read part of the Hail Mary in Latin. At the top of each wave there’s a word, and together they say: ‘Ave Maria gratia plena. Dominus tecum’. And on the ceiling of the second floor there’s an inscription that reads: ‘Oh Maria, no et sàpiga greu lo petiteta, perquè també ho són les flors i les estrelles’ (Oh Mary, do not be sorry to be so small, for so are the flowers and the stars), an interpretation of some lines by Francesc Matheu Fornells.

In summer, La Pedrera also puts on jazz concerts on the roof terrace, and at La Pedrera’s café you can enjoy a dinner with live music. And since 17 March 2012 it has offered a new night-time tour of the Pedrera Secreta.

After visiting this magnificent work of art, we’d recommend stopping for a bite to eat at the tapas restaurant Bodegueta Provença, a safe bet for tucking into its small plates and getting your strength back.

Address: Passeig de Gràcia 92, 08008 Barcelona

Click on the link to see more photos of La Pedrera.