It was commissioned by the businessman Pere Milà i Camps and his wife Roser Segimon i Artells, a native of Reus and widow of the wealthy Indian Josep Guardiola i Grau. [1] At the time it was very controversial due to the bold wavy shapes of the stone facade and the twisted wrought iron that decorate its balconies and windows, designed largely by Josep Maria Jujol, who also designed some of the low ceilings of plaster.
Architecturally it is considered an innovative work as it has a structure of columns and floors free of load-bearing walls. In the same way, the façade - entirely made of stone - is self-supporting, in other words, it must not support loads from the plants. Another innovative element was the construction of the underground garage.
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984 for its outstanding universal value. [2] Since 2013, it has been the headquarters of the Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera, [3] which manages the various exhibitions and activities that take place there and visits to the building. [4]