Pavelló Mies van der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich designed the German Pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. . Today we can admire this key piece of modern architecture again. Thanks to the reconstruction in the eighties of the Barcelona Pavilion, the city now boasts an icon of the modern movement designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich.

The Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, which is also known as the Barcelona Pavilion, is an iconic landmark of the Modern Movement and has been a source of inspiration to generations of architects. Its authors from the Bauhaus and the Deutscher Werkbund promoted the aesthetic reflection that changed the course of art and design in Europe. The Pavilion is built from glass, steel, and four different types of marble (Roman travertine, green marble from the Alps, ancient green marble from Greece and golden onyx from the Atlas Mountains), which are the same types used in the original building. The importance of the Pavilion lies in the fact that its materials epitomise the ideals of modernism: perfect symmetry, open-plan spaces, precise distances and minimalism. The effect is complemented by Georg Kolbe's beautiful sculpture, entitled "Alba" (Dawn). It is strategically placed at one end of a shallow pool, its reflection visible in the water, on the marble surfaces and glass, giving the impression that it is multiplied throughout the space, while the curves and irregularities of the human form contrast with the geometrical purity of the building. The Pavilion also contains examples of the Barcelona chair, which the same authors designed for the Pavilion. With its white-leather upholstery and metal frame, it has become one of the icons of modern design.

The Mies van der Rohe Foundation was set up by Barcelona City Council in 1983 to ensure the preservation of the pavilion and bring it to a wider audience. It also organises different activities throughout the year including artistic interventions in the Pavilion, cultural events, debates, lectures and congresses...