Combining functionalism and esthetics in the Washerwoman portico, Gaudí designed a sloping wall with a triple use: to naturally contain the terrain's rock fragments; to produce a surface area above wide enough for a road; and to create a pedestrian way on the lower level. All the columns, stemming from the portico's tilted supports, are different shapes and topped by mushroom-like capitals. The portico is named for the caryatid that adorns the first column.

The portico and washerwoman: