Many of us have had the pleasure of visiting the famous Antoni Gaudi’s architecture whilst exploring the beauty that is Barcelona, but did you at any point imagine yourself actually living in one of his eccentrically designed houses? Well, Ana Viladomiu could, as she truly rents a space within Gaudi’s most renowned home, La Pedrera.

While her rent is surprisingly significantly cheap, she has stated that she struggles to get to her door at times, and is very restricted in terms of decorating her apartment as a) one must be respectful of such a historical space, and b) every wall is curved, so there’s absolutely no chance of putting up shelves. I guess Gaudi didn’t think that one through…

When considering it was built in 1905-1910, it is remarkable to believe that Gaudi possessed such a progressive mindset that he was able to design and build a home that would be fit for someone in 2019.

If I was invited to a dinner party at Ana’s, I would absolutely attend because what an experience that would be, but to live there… I’m not sold. I would consistently feel like I was living in someone else’s home and it could never truly be mine as I would have to share it with the millions of tourists who fly thousands of miles to see it every day.

Should this be something that designers consider moving forward? Should our designs be catered for liveable standards or do the aesthetics take priority?

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