barcelona pavilion: MIES VAN DER ROHE

background info

• The 1929 Barcelona International exposition took place from May 20 to

January 15,1930 in Bacelona ,Spain.

• The mountain of Montjuïc is where it was held. 20 European nations

participated in the fair, including Germany, France , and Barcelona.

• The exposition required a lot of urban development which lead to new

architectural styles.

• Spain would spark the arrival of its avant-garde style such as modern

minimalism (Barcelona Pavilion).

• Mies Van der Rohe was commissioned to build a pavilion for the exposition.

The exposition also allowed for the designs of The Palau National Catalunya

Art Museum , The Magic Fountain of Montjuic The Venetian Towers and the

Placa Espanya .

• These developments contributed to an influential experience in Spain and

had connections to each other by the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina.

• The Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina is an avenue that runs from the

Placa Espana to the Palau National Catalunya Art Museum and creates a

dynamic axis that included the Barcelona Pavilion.

site context BARCELONA , SPAIN

urban development

• Placa Espanya

• The center of town is

a 10 minute ride

away, or a 30-40

minutes walk.

Venetian Towers .

• The Avinguda de la Reina Maria

Cristina runs right through the towers

urban development

• Palau National Catalunya

Art Museum .

• Is located at the end of The

Avinguda de la Reina Maria

• It houses Renaissance,

Gothic, and Romanesque

artwork

• The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

• The fountain is below the Palau

National Catalunya Art Museum

on the Montjuïc hill .

• The Fountain serves as a

important crossing that

generates a massive amount of

circulation.

site CONTEXT

Month Average

Temperature oC

Average Temperature F

Summary of Day

By Day (Weather Log)

January 10 50 January

February 13 55 February

March 13 55 March

April 16 61 April

May 18 64 May

June 21 68 June

July 25 77 July

August 29 84 August

September 22 72 September

October 18 65 October

November 16 61 November

December 12 54 December

absolute best weather from MAY TO THE END OF JULY

view from THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN OF MONTJUÏC

experience…….

MIES ‘S intensions for the

pavilion

•created a pavilion for the

international exposition of

1929 in barcelona ,spain

•place for tranquility and

escape

•inhabitable sculpture

• displays architectural

principles such as material,

experience , and

circulation

•generates framed views

from interior to exterior

•offset walls create

movement throughout

spaces that formulate an

organic flow; dissipates

boundaries from interior to

exterior

materials and furniture

green aplhine

travertine

golden onyx

frosted glass

steel cruciform

columns

barcelona

furniture

“The chair is a very difficult object. Everyone who has ever tried to

make one knows that. There are endless possibilities and many

problems - the chair has to be light, it has to be strong, it has to be

comfortable. It is almost easier to build a sky scraper than a chair.” -

Mies 1930

a chair fit for a KING

King Alphonso XIII

contrast AND INTRIQUE

The Kolbe

sculpture adds a dramatic contrast

to the orthogonal

geometry of the

building. The

sensation of

being boxed in by

exterior walls are

completely

diminished by the

reflection in the

pool . That reflection creates

an illusion of

infinite space

ultimately

creating an

dreamlike

experience .

immediate SITE CONTEXT

1. Entrance 2. Main Volume 3. Reflecting pools 4. Secondary Volume 5. Garden Entrance

CIRCULATION PATTERNS

DIFFERENT VIEWS

circulation...