Wednesday October 18th - La Pedrera
Wednesday October 18th - La Pedrera
We awoke this morning to sunny skies and warm temperatures after two days of overcast and intermittent rain, a fitting end to our journey. Today we started the day at our favorite breakfast spot Granja Petitbo, after which we set out on our last excursion to visit to another of Antoni Gaudi's masterpieces Casa Mila, better known as La Pedrera.
Commissioned in 1906 by Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimo, it was controversial at the time because of its undulating stone facade and twisting wrought iron balconies. Several structural innovations include a self-supporting stone façade, a free-plan floor, an underground garage and the spectacular terrace on the roof.
The interior courtyard is designed to provide illumination for all of the interior spaces.
As with the exterior, straight lines and right angles are replaced by undulating surfaces wherever possible, from doorways and windows to stairwells and banisters.
A gramophone horn following the Gaudi design sensibilities.
A marble bust of the lady of the house.
Gaudi's shop and workspace occupies the attic area and to this day contains artifacts of his labors and methods, including the most illustrative example of his signature use of catenary arches as architectural elements. In these photos one can see in great detail the use of standard rectangular bricks to construct the arches without the use of a center column, and once again translating the rectilinear aspects of the brick into a curvilinear masterpiece.
Inspired once again by nature, Gaudi took his inspiration for the catenary arch from the exoskeleton of sea creatures including the nautilus and sea snakes.
The catenary arch design is repeated over 200 times in the various arches supporting the double-layered roof which at the time was itself a revolutionary concept, providing natural convective cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
Note the resemblance of the structural components of this model to the skeletal remains above with the longitudinal spine forming the center point of the load-bearing structures.
Note the complete absence of central columns or buttresses.
A model of the complete structure
The relative dimensions of the complex of arches were first laid out using a wooden palette, chains and a mirror to invert the design upright. These photos show the palette from which the arcing chains are hung suspended above a mirror to provide a visualization of the finished design.
The flowing contours are repeated on the rooftop garden incorporating symbols to represent serpents and soldiers to protect the building's inhabitants.
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