Casa Mila
One more place of Gaudi’s genius - another residential building that is not like any other. Casa Mila. Actually, they call it - La Pedrera – The Quarry. In the past locals gave it this name because they considered it an ugly building. Now it is a UNESCO Site. Oh the irony of geniuses – they have to be dead for a while for their work to be understood! Casa Mila is certainly not your traditional block of flats. However, it is a residential building and only one floor is opened to the visitors, as well as attic and a roof. As with any Gaudi’s creations, different people see it differently. Some say – it is sand dunes, for others- steep cliff with the caves, waves of lava, lunar landscape…either way it is something to experience. Funny I said this without much thinking on the right word and suddenly it got out by itself: it is impossible to “see” Gaudi, Gaudi should be “experienced”…
Compare to the Park Guell and Casa Battlo, La Pedrera looks very “modest”, ascetic even. Nothing fancy of the bright playful colours of the tile fragments or fruity tops, just endless wavy traces that might’ve been left on a sandy beach by the forgetful ocean wave…Casa Mila at first seems a bit “toned down”…then you walk inside and the magic begins…in this particular building the wavy forms of the organic design don’t make you seasick, but rather meditate you into the tranquil calm of the ancient sands… Windows look as if being dug out of the sands…
…balconies have iron fences, designed by someone else, not Gaudi, but matching the shape of the building and each one has unique design.
The roof is certainly Casa Mila’s biggest attraction. It has a multileveled viewing terrace and very unusual array of chimneys. To many they remind something of the medieval soldier’s helmets. Locals used to refer to them as The Dancing Evil Witches…Actually, in Catalan popular culture, there are a large number of legends about witches…and at least one of them involves a group of the witches, dancing naked in the sand…must be odd to watch…odd are the chimneys on the roof top of Casa Mila. Though I cannot say that they were witchly scary…
Interesting detail about this building – it stands entirely on the pillars, not supported by walls – a rather innovative architectural idea, even nowadays…there is a museum inside in the Attic, and also one appartment is opened for the public. As usual – lots of light, light, light and more light…wonderfully pellucid…
Well, that was all about Antonio Gaudi. We've seen all that in one single day, each construction wasn’t too big at all…it took more time to record everything I want to keep a memory of. And I'm rather pedantic in this. For the time will pass and I might never remember what was the reason of me becoming fan of some crazy architect. (can one really be a fan of architect?! I thought fan business is only for the sport&movie stars...until I saw Gaudi, that is)
So, now, once we've done with one day of Spanish Vacation, let's move on to the rest of my journey. There is more to tell later…
One more place of Gaudi’s genius - another residential building that is not like any other. Casa Mila. Actually, they call it - La Pedrera – The Quarry. In the past locals gave it this name because they considered it an ugly building. Now it is a UNESCO Site. Oh the irony of geniuses – they have to be dead for a while for their work to be understood! Casa Mila is certainly not your traditional block of flats. However, it is a residential building and only one floor is opened to the visitors, as well as attic and a roof. As with any Gaudi’s creations, different people see it differently. Some say – it is sand dunes, for others- steep cliff with the caves, waves of lava, lunar landscape…either way it is something to experience. Funny I said this without much thinking on the right word and suddenly it got out by itself: it is impossible to “see” Gaudi, Gaudi should be “experienced”…
Compare to the Park Guell and Casa Battlo, La Pedrera looks very “modest”, ascetic even. Nothing fancy of the bright playful colours of the tile fragments or fruity tops, just endless wavy traces that might’ve been left on a sandy beach by the forgetful ocean wave…Casa Mila at first seems a bit “toned down”…then you walk inside and the magic begins…in this particular building the wavy forms of the organic design don’t make you seasick, but rather meditate you into the tranquil calm of the ancient sands… Windows look as if being dug out of the sands…
…balconies have iron fences, designed by someone else, not Gaudi, but matching the shape of the building and each one has unique design.
The roof is certainly Casa Mila’s biggest attraction. It has a multileveled viewing terrace and very unusual array of chimneys. To many they remind something of the medieval soldier’s helmets. Locals used to refer to them as The Dancing Evil Witches…Actually, in Catalan popular culture, there are a large number of legends about witches…and at least one of them involves a group of the witches, dancing naked in the sand…must be odd to watch…odd are the chimneys on the roof top of Casa Mila. Though I cannot say that they were witchly scary…
Interesting detail about this building – it stands entirely on the pillars, not supported by walls – a rather innovative architectural idea, even nowadays…there is a museum inside in the Attic, and also one appartment is opened for the public. As usual – lots of light, light, light and more light…wonderfully pellucid…
Well, that was all about Antonio Gaudi. We've seen all that in one single day, each construction wasn’t too big at all…it took more time to record everything I want to keep a memory of. And I'm rather pedantic in this. For the time will pass and I might never remember what was the reason of me becoming fan of some crazy architect. (can one really be a fan of architect?! I thought fan business is only for the sport&movie stars...until I saw Gaudi, that is)
So, now, once we've done with one day of Spanish Vacation, let's move on to the rest of my journey. There is more to tell later…