Casa Mila

Casa Mila is situated in Barcelona and was designed by Gaudi who was commissioned to create a family home.

The strange exterior, known for its limestone curves, tangled wrought-iron balconies and spider's-web main doorway, caused much controversy when it was completed in 1912. It was described as a petrified aquarium, a hangar for airships and even an earthquake preserved in sculpture.

In the 1920s, French President Georges Clemenceau was said to have been so disturbed by the sight of the building and that in Barcelona they were building homes for dragons. 

However, now the building is seen to be a masterpiece in Barcelona as the smooth lines, sleek surfaces and forms go beyond pure Modernism. It is a triumph of aesthetics over practicality. Therefore, this was never a house for a family as Gaudi reputed that a tenant must take up the violin because it was too hard to fit a piano in the house.

Also it is far bigger than envisaged and the Barcelona City Council asked for the top floor to be knocked down or to pay a 100,000 peseta fine.

The building may have had its challenges, nevertheless in 1984, UNESCO declared it World Heritage Site, being the first 20th-century building to achieve the honour.