Mies van der Rohe Pavilion
Tourist attraction · el Poble Sec ·
Iconic modernist architecture, serene pools, Georg Kolbe sculpture
Iconic modernist architecture, serene pools, Georg Kolbe sculpture
"The Barcelona, or German, Pavilion was designed by Mies van der Rohe – one of the godfathers of rationalist architecture – to be the national pavilion of Germany for the International Expo of 1929, celebrated on Montjuïc. At the time it was considered to be a hugely unusual artefact which left the public astonished but a little disconcerted. “It only contains space. It has no practical purpose, material function,” wrote one critic. The pavilion was designed with a proportional composition, the interior extending between two bodies of water. The smaller of which, found in the inner courtyard, is illuminated by the light hitting the marble paving stones and decorated with a sculpture of the female form by Georg Kolbe. The larger body of water extends outside, creating an atmosphere which invites solitude and reflexion. Do you need any more reasons to go there?" - ZeClé
"The Barcelona Pavilion was designed by German architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the 1929 International Exposition—a global showcase of architectural styles. Exposition over, the pavilion was duly dismantled back to Germany. It was only in the decades after—cue: a face-palming moment of hindsight—that the architectural community realized just how pivotal Mies van der Rohe’s founding symbol of modernist architecture was. In 1980, Barcelona City Council enlisted a team of Catalan architects to turn salvaged photographs and drawings into a delicate, atmospheric reconstruction. Most people’s overarching takeaway from the Pavilion is that it’s smaller than they imagined, so use this as your battery recharge before tackling the other arty big-hitters on Montjuïc, such as Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and Fundació Joan Miró." - Gemma Askham
"Presented on the itinerary as a key example of the city’s modern side, this pavilion highlighted the dialogue between restrained modern forms and Barcelona’s historic architecture; during the guided visit, Taylor looked at its proportions, materials, and spatial clarity to see how modernist principles can echo and inform contemporary interior design choices." - Vox Creative
Not the most comfortable and with sound systems that can be bettered elsewhere, this architectural gem still offers film screenings that few other open-air cinemas can compete with. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich as the German pavilion for Barcelona’s International Exhibition in 1929, it was demolished a year later and then rebuilt in 1986 in Montjuïc, its original location. For the past few years it has hosted Pantalla Pavelló, runs of films related to architecture that are projected on its travertine marble wall and watched by audiences dotted around the pond, creating a truly magical atmosphere. - Liv Kelly
Nikos P.
Sebastian S.
Olga I.
Taïma M.
Andrew P.
Jo V
Ralf W
Chris M.
