Meeting Mies in Barcelona

While visiting Montjuic you’ll do a double-take when coming across a rather modern, austere structure made of stone, marble, glass and onyx on your hike up the winding streets of the hilltop. Its low, box-like structure seems a bit out of place in the middle of Montjuic’s monumental architecture and indeed it was decades ahead of its time.

Originally designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, this modern architectural gem was the German national pavilion and built to host the official reception overseen by the King Alphonso XIII of Spain along with German Authorities. The Pavello Mies van der Rohe is to this day a heralded symbol of the Modern Movement and has continuously been studied, reinterpreted and a source of inspiration of several generations of architects.

The elegant pavilion was unfortunately later demolished after the International Exhibition in 1930 however was rebuilt over 50 years later after much debate and consideration. Between the time of its demolition to the 1980’s it was clearly noted that the Pavilion was not only a milestone in Mies’ career but also a major point of reference for modern twentieth-century architecture and therefore keeping in mind its cultural significance the Barcelona City Hall came to the obvious conclusion to rebuild.

In 1980 a team of architects, Ignasi de Solà-Morales, Cristian Cirici and Fernando Ramos, were selected by the Urban Planning Department of Barcelona for the sole purpose of researching, designing and supervising the reconstruction of the Pavilion.

In 1983, when work began on the reconstruction, City Hall founded the Fundació Mies van der Rohe to ensure upon completion of the Pavilion, which commenced in 1986, the conservation and diffusion of information about the structure on a consistent basis. The Fundació also promotes debates on and raises awareness about subjects related to contemporary architecture and urban planning. It encourages the continued studies on Mies van der Rohe’s work as well as the Modern Architectural Movement.

Future and current architects will be happy to know that Fundació has a full calendar of events in which they organize congresses, conferences, exhibitions, workshops and installations all over the world. Simply check the website for current and past events. One of the most worthy actions that are jointly supported by the Fundaciò and the European Commission is the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. The Pritzker Prize gets all the glory however this award is one of the most prestigious awards for European professional architects calling attention to local talent as well as supporting young architects.

Candidates for the Award are elected by a group of independent experts from throughout Europe as well as various architectural associations that comprise a section of the European Council of Architects. Every two years the jury selects two works: a special mention for an emerging architect and the top prize to an architect recognizing his/her work for its conceptual, technical and constructional qualities. The big winner receives a whopping 60,000€ cash and the emerging architect wins 20.000€. Both are given a mini-replica of the Pavilion along with the inclusion of their work in the Awards catalogue and traveling exhibition.

The Mies van der Rohe Pavilion is open to the public everyday allowing anyone to get up and personal with one the most emblematic works of modern architecture. The space isn’t expansive and can be viewed in a short amount of time although design-hounds might want to spend more than a few minutes contemplating the architectural details of the site.

When I visited it for the first time I was awestruck at how current the structure, the interior and the combination of materials used appear to be although its original design was conceived over 80 years ago. It’s also hard to believe that The Barcelona Chair, which Mies designed specifically for the Pavilion and are distributed throughout the space are still manufactured and marketed today because of their iconic design.

For more information on the Pavelò Mies van der Rohe or the Fundaciò Mies van der Rohe go to www.miesbcn.com. The site is in English, Spanish and Catalan clearly describing the objectives of the foundation, the Mies van der Rohe Award and details on the calendar of activities.

Pavelò Mies van der Rohe
Avenida Françesc Ferrer I Guardia 7
Hours: 10am – 8pm daily including holidays
Entrance: General Public – 4,50€
Students with valid ID card – 2,30€
Groups with prior reservation – 2,30€
Children under 18 are free
Telephone: 92 423 40 16
Please be advised that the Pavilion does occasionally host presentations and temporary exhibitions that may slightly modify its interior. It also may be occasionally closed to the public due to private events.