Casa Mila is located on Passeig de Gràcia in central Barcelona. It is a near neighbor to one of Antoni Gaudí's other architectural masterpieces, Casa Battlo. You can easily reach Casa Mila by taking metro lines 3 or 5 to the Diagonal stop. Once there, it is possible to take a tour of one interior apartment and the roof, however this is not recommended. It is possible to view a sample of the interior design in the lobby for free, but most the innovation of Casa Mila can be seen from the street.
Casa Mila is better known as La Pedrera, or The Quarry. When it was first built between 1906 and 1910, its unconventional architecture was thought ugly by some, hence the derisive nickname. Today, connoisseurs view Casa Mila more as a sculpture than a building. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. It is an imaginative example of the Art Nouveau style.
Casa Mila is built of concrete and iron. The building is without straight lines. The façade undulates like seaweed caught in the current. On the balconies, iron grows in vegetative shapes from its concrete soil. The roof is guarded by sentry-like chimneys. These chimneys have been compared to anything from Greek soldiers to Star Wars storm troopers.
If you do chose to tour the interior of Casa Mila, you will taken up to an apartment on the top floor that is done up in late Victorian style. You will also be allowed to view the room detail up close.