Casa Mila - Barcelona - Spain
A masterpiece in architectural design and the last private residential building designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is definitive of the Catalan Art Nouveau period, and is a culmination of the design principles, techniques and philosophies involved in his other previous projects. The result is a building in which every detail has been carefully considered to solve the common problems of architecture and design at the time, as well as to provide a perfect combination of both the functional and aesthetic form.
One such problem was that of lobbies being too closed and dark. The solution, two open and airy courtyards which provided a place of transit and which are directly visible to those entering the building. The courtyard mirrors the external design of the building, that of a constant curve with undulating surfaces and features, and provides a sense of community with all apartments overlooking the courtyard and each other.