ad classics: barcelona pavilion : mies van der rohe | archdaily

8/18/2019 AD Classics: Barcelona Pavilion : Mies van der Rohe | ArchDaily

1/5

About Contact Submit Advertise SUBSCRIBE TO OURDAILY NEWSLETTER

E-MAIL ADDRESS

AD Classics: Barcelona Pavilion / Mies van der RoheSafari Power SaverClick to Start Flash Plug-in

MORE OF

MIES VAN DER ROHE

11 Apr 2014

Infographic: The

Bauhaus, Where Form

Follows Function

11 Dec 2013

AD Classics: Lafayette

Park / Mies van der Rohe

12 Feb 2013

AD Classics: Chicago

Federal Center / Mies

van der Rohe

SELECTED

BUILDINGS

Sign In Register

© Flickr User: wotjek gurak

© Flickr User: gondolas

As part of the1929 International Exposition in Barcelona Spain, the Barcelona Pavilion,

designed by Mies van der Rohe, was the display of architecture’s modern movement to the

world. Originally named the German Pavilion, the pavilion was the face of Germany after

WWI, emulating the nation’s progressively modern culture that was still rooted in its

classical history. Its elegant and sleek design combined with rich natural material presented

Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion as a bridge into his future career, as well as architectural

modernism.

More on the Barcelona Pavilion after the break.

After several architectural triumphs in Germany, Mies was commissioned to design the

German Pavilion for the International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. The pavilion was

intended to be the face of the German section that would host King Alphonso XIII of Spain

and German officials at the inauguration of the exposition. Unlike other pavilions at the

World

http://www.archdaily.com/120391/native-child-and-family-services-of-toronto-levitt-goodman-architects/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=120391http://www.archdaily.com/403094/0710-duplex-pzg-n232-arquitectura/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=403094http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_gandolas/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.mx/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/barcelona/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/spain/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/barcelona/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_gandolas/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak8/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/403094/0710-duplex-pzg-n232-arquitectura/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=403094http://www.archdaily.com/120391/native-child-and-family-services-of-toronto-levitt-goodman-architects/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=120391http://www.archdaily.com/286024/pool-house-joaquin-alvado-banon/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=286024http://www.archdaily.com/510729/brother-s-house-hiroshi-kuno-associates/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=510729http://www.archdaily.com/468580/instituut-verbeeten-wiegerinck/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=468580http://www.archdaily.com/149949/beach-house-q-longhi-architects/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=149949http://www.archdaily.com/334130/k-house-studio-arthur-casas/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=334130http://www.archdaily.com/302609/freidenrich-center-for-translational-research-wrns-studio/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=302609http://www.archdaily.com/450092/leura-lane-bianca-scaife-and-daniel-cooper/?ad_medium=widget&ad_name=selected-buildings&ad_content=450092http://www.archdaily.com/330700/ad-classics-chicago-federal-center-mies-van-der-rohe/http://www.archdaily.com/455524/ad-classics-lafayette-park-mies-van-der-rohe/http://www.archdaily.com/225792/the-bauhaus/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/advertisehttp://www.archdaily.com/contacthttp://www.archdaily.com/contacthttp://www.archdaily.com/about


2/5

Safari Power SaverClick to Start Flash Plug-in

MORE PROJECTS ›

MOST

VISITED OF THE WEEK

30 Sep 2013

How Much Will It Cost to

Start My Own

Architecture Firm?

4 Sep 2014

From Friends to Frasier:

13 Famous TV Shows

Rendered in Plan

10 Sep 2014

VIDEO: Bjarke Ingels on

"Promiscuous Hybrids"

and "Worldcraft"

12 Sep 2014

The Long Brick House /

Foldes Architects

12 Sep 2014

Jump Off A Cliff and

Land in Bed in this Edgy

Australian Home

plan


exposition, Mies understood his pavilion simply as a building and nothing more, it would not

house art or sculpture rather the pavilion would be a place of tranquility and escape from the

exposition, in effect transforming the pavilion into an inhabitable sculpture.

Situated at the foot of the National Art Museum of Catalonia and Montjuic, the Barcelona

Pavilion resides on a narrow site in a quiet tucked away corner secluded from the bustling

city streets of Barcelona. Raised on a plinth of travertine, the Barcelona Pavilion separates

itself from it context create atmospheric and experiential effects that seem to occur in a

vacuum that dissolves all consciousness of the surrounding city.

The pavilion’s design is based on a formulaic grid system developed by Mies that not onlyserves as the patterning of the travertine pavers, but it also serves as an underlying

framework that the wall systems work within. By raising the pavilion on a plinth in

conjunction with the narrow profile of the site, the Barcelona Pavilion has a low horizontal

orientation that is accentuated by the low flat roof that appears to float over both the interior

as well as the exterior.

The low stature of the building narrows the visitor’s line of vision forcing one to adjust to the

views framed by Mies. When walking up onto the plinth, one is forced under the low roof

plane that captures the adjacent outdoor court as well as the interior moments that induce

circulation throughout the pavilion. The interior of the pavilion consists of offset wall places

that work with the low roof plane to encourage movement, as well as activate Mies’

architectural promenade where framed views would induce movement through the narrow

passage that would open into a larger volume. This cyclical process of moving throughout

the pavilion sets in motion a process of discovery and rediscovery during ones experience;

always offering up new perspectives and details that were previously unseen.

Every aspect of the Barcelona Pavilion has architectural significance that can be seen at the

advent of modern architecture in the 20th Century; however, one of the most important

aspects of the pavilion is the roof. The low profile of the roof appears in elevation as a

floating plane above the interior volume. The appearance of floating gives the volume a

sense of weightlessness that fluctuates between enclosure and canopy. The roof structure

http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak3/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/barcelona_pavil_plan_2/http://www.archdaily.com/547904/jump-off-a-cliff-and-land-in-bed-in-this-edgy-australian-home/http://www.archdaily.com/544119/the-long-brick-house-foldes-architects/http://www.archdaily.com/546867/video-bjarke-ingles-on-promiscuous-hybrids-and-worldcraft/http://www.archdaily.com/544885/from-friends-to-frasier-13-famous-tv-shows-rendered-in-plan/http://www.archdaily.com/431742/how-much-will-it-cost-to-start-my-own-architecture-firm/http://www.archdaily.com/category/selected/


3/5


© Greg Kristo

is supported by eight slender cruciform columns that allow the roof to as effortlessly floating

above the volume while freeing up the interior to allow for an open plan. With the low roof

projecting out over the exterior and the openness of the pavilion, there is a blurred spatial

demarcation where ht interior becomes and exterior and exterior becomes interior.

The pavilion is designed as a proportional composition where the interior of the pavilion is juxtaposed to two reflecting pools. The smaller reflecting pool is located directly behind the

interior space which allows for light to filter through the interior volume as well illuminate the

marble and travertine pavers. The larger, shallow reflecting pool compliments the volume

as it stretches across the rest of the plinth. Its elegance and sleek lines establish a place of

solitude and reflection.

In addition to the design, the materials are what give the Barcelona Pavilion its true

architectural essence as well as the ethereal and experiential qualities that the pavilion

embodies. The pavilion meshes the man-made and the natural employing four types of

marble, steel, chrome, and glass. The marble originates from the Swiss Alps and the

Mediterranean. Mies’ implementation of the marble is created through a process of splitting,

called broaching, that creates a symmetrical patternization that’s found in the marble.

However, the most used material is the Italian travertine that wraps the plinth and the

exterior walls adjacent to the reflecting pool. When exposed to the sun, the travertine

becomes illuminated almost as a secondary light source that dissolves the natural stone

and washes the light over the space. The travertine’s inherent luminous qualities as well as

Mies’ seamless employment of the material over the plinth adds to the dissolution of spatial

demarcation transforming the pavilion into one continuous volume rather than two separate

entities.

In 1930, the original Barcelona Pavilion was dismantled after the International Exposition

http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05225/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak5/


4/5

© Flickr User: wotjek gurak © Flickr User: wotjek gurak © Flickr User : wotjek gurak



© Greg Kristo

was over; however; in 1983 a group of Catalan architects began working on rebuilding the

pavilion from photographs and what little salvaged drawings that remained. Today it is open

daily and can be seen in the same location as in 1929.

Architect: Mies van der Rohe

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Project Year: 1929

Photographs: Greg Kristo, Flickr User: gandolas, Flickr User: wojtek gurnak

References: wikiarquitectura, greatbuildings

08FEB

2011

by Andrew Kroll

AD Architecture Classics CulturalExhibition Monuments and

emorials Pavilion Barcelona Miesvan der Rohe Modernism Spain

28631 POSTS

390694 COMMENTSSEARCH ARCHDAILYHome Projects News Articles Interviews Software Venice Biennale MoreMaterials

CATALOG

!

http://www.archdaily.com/catalog/us?ad_medium=ad&ad_name=main_menuhttp://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/tag/venice-biennale-2014/http://www.archdaily.com/category/software/http://www.archdaily.com/category/archdaily-interviews/http://www.archdaily.com/category/articles/http://www.archdaily.com/category/architecture-news/http://www.archdaily.com/category/selected/http://www.archdaily.com/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/tag/spain/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/modernism/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/mies-van-der-rohe/http://www.archdaily.com/tag/barcelona/http://www.archdaily.com/category/pavilion/http://www.archdaily.com/category/monuments-and-memorials/http://www.archdaily.com/category/exhibition/http://www.archdaily.com/category/cultural-center/http://www.archdaily.com/category/ad-classics/http://www.archdaily.com/author/andrew-kroll/http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Barcelona_Pavilion.htmlhttp://en.wikiarquitectura.com/index.php/German_Pavilionhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/3450203484/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gandolas/3376136889/sizes/l/in/photostream/http://www.flickr.com/photos/_gk/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05205-2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05169/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_gandolas2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_gandolas/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak9/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak7/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak6/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak5/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak4/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak3/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/bcn-pavilion_wojtek-gurak8/


5/5

Cite:

Kroll, Andrew. "AD Classics: Barcelona Pavilion / Mies van der Rohe" 08 Feb 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 18

Sep 2014.

11 comments

ricky o

Peter Guthrie o

Dan

o

Wojtek Gurak o

simondroog o

Ralph Martin Architect o

© Flickr User: gondolas © Flickr User: gondolas © Greg Kristo

© Greg Kristo © Greg Kristo © Greg Kristo

© Greg Kristo © Greg Kristo plan

Reply

I wish the photos weren’t so over-processed.

Reply

arrrggghhh my eyes!

Reply

Some of Peters renders look less processed than these photos!

Reply

actually, I wish Andrew didn’t dig out such old pics from my flickr archives. Did them over 2years

ago and I totally agree that they’re over-processed. like everyone, i improve with practice and experience.

Since then, I’ve recently redeveloped some of them in a more appropriate manner, which I refer you to at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/tags/barcelonapavilion/

Reply

Still love this pavilion: the elegance, proportions and minimalist design. Humans have an affinity for

(a certain level of) order and feel proportions of the space

(http://experiencingarchitecture.com/2010/10/28/scale-and-proportion/ )

Awesome photography & article!

546

LikeLike

Twee

90

12

567
http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/#http://twitter.com/search?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F109135%2Fad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe%2Fhttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F109135%2Fad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe%2F&text=AD%20Classics%3A%20Barcelona%20Pavilion%20%2F%20Mies%20van%20der%20Rohe&tw_p=tweetbutton&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archdaily.com%2F109135%2Fad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe%2F&via=archdailyhttp://experiencingarchitecture.com/2010/10/28/scale-and-proportion/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/?replytocom=340224#respondhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/wojtekgurak/tags/barcelonapavilion/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/?replytocom=339274#respondhttp://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/?replytocom=339220#respondhttp://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/?replytocom=339207#respondhttp://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/?replytocom=339195#respondhttp://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/barcelona_pavil_plan_2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05160-2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05241/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05225/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05205-2/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/dsc05194/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-340279http://www.art2arch.net/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-340224http://experiencingarchitecture.com/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-339274http://www.bywojtek.net/http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-339220http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-339207http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classics-barcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe/comment-page-1/#comment-339195http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=CjZNB-H8aVPa8PIy68AXH4oHgCcS5sNYF5PiS_9QBwI23ARABIJSO-SRQvIWdsvn_____AWDhBKABucnn5wPIAQLgAgCoAwHIA50EqgTHAU_Q-Y1m1D_ZliztOCGzx4QWDmg9LhGieFC1c-NhSTHNs5HC3rZsuInMXQ3RC4vqn2yAf0-taHGQhdAblK4-8p-TBTmY2rG_fR6Ob9AlRABxOKcZVWvmhC8BR3SiUm5-1KRGUCQvLUbqGLcTYQpA1JJfSCMb0q2iVlrpFepzu1v2izDYJsQUVTlfAiRW7j6tBTc2S_u_7K8SdJnPqLK6ob9Yw_NluFNHyhKI1IH9PWKesdojq4UcVsYzUViFO5NbT5pqJkSLtQjgBAGIBgGgBgKAB5St9S0&num=1&cid=5GjEpfVA0mq5IzayleZYrJVp&sig=AOD64_2w8KRzQDAOBoyVnTY_k73Wk2hUNg&client=ca-pub-7945815694959600&adurl=https://www.airbnb.com/%3Falsm%3D1%26af%3D8781787%26c%3Dbrdisplay_d_engasia_na_na_fpsm_imgbelong_asia

ad classics: barcelona pavilion : mies van der rohe | archdaily

Documents