La Pedrera

This week our students had the opprotunity to visit one of Gaudi's stunning works on the Paseo de Gracia, Casa Milà. The house, also famously known as La Pedrera due to it's apperance to a stone quarry, was commisioned by the Milà family in 1906. The Milà family occupied the main floor and rented out the other aparments in the building after its construction complete in 1912. Today, there are still three residents in La Pedrera along with the thousands of tourists that visit it daily. Besides the residential and tourism uses, the building is still used for cultural events, exhibitions, and admisitrative purposes. We started our tour at the top floor and explored the intricate architecture and furniture construction.

The house also featured a museum where we were also able to see the other models of his works, like Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, and Casa Batlló.  We learned that many of his works, including Casa Milà, were inspired by nature. One of the most iconic parts of the house, the rooftop terrace, features stylistic architecture that represents all of the four elements along with chimney stacks that almost look like they're wearing helmets. Some say that George Lucas was inspired after visiting the Pedrera and modeled the stormtroopers' helemet after Gaudi's work. Check the photos if you can find the similiarities!  The house , now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was built in the modernist style and challenged the norms of architecture and style in it's time.