Mosaic chimney in Casa Milà

To modernism, tiles, wrought iron and mosaic -like this one here covering a huge chimney in Casa Milà in the Passeig de Gràcia, the most luxurious street in Barcelona- were not only ornamental complements. They served to important functional purposes. Mosaic and tiles, besides of being cheap, were also highly resistant against bad weather situations. This dogma (beauty and functionality) was largely covered by those humble elements and so they were largely used in almost all the buildings built during the Art Nouveau period. They are STILL useful... 100 years later!