"In Barcelona, walk a block or two and you’ll notice that the city’s street tiles (called panots) are both ridiculously cool and varied. Property owners used to pave the street in front of their house until 1907 when the Barcelona council contracted out the job. Escofet, which won the contract, secured big-name contributions from architects Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch, and Gaudí—there are 18 in all. To find Gaudí’s panot, head to Passeig de Gràcia. It’s a six-sided tile that, from afar, resembles the stony shell on a turtle’s back." - Gemma Askham