The German Pavilion was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1929 for the German representation at the International Exhibition in Barcelona held on Montjuic that same year. The Pavilion was conceived as a space of modest dimensions and refined materials. It was made of glass, steel, and four types of marble, intended to host the official reception led by King Alfonso XIII and German authorities. The uniqueness in the use of materials, which was always highlighted in his work, wasn't about their novelty but about the modernity they represented and their precise application in terms of geometry, the accuracy of their components, and the clarity of their assembly.
Known as one of the most significant works of modern architecture, the pavilion is characterized by the radical simplicity of its spatial organization and forms, along with the luxurious elegance of the materials used. As a result of the ongoing analysis it has undergone over the years, it is attributed to various influences, including the architect's particular fondness for traditional Japanese architecture, suprematism, and neoplasticism.
After the closure of the Exhibition, the Pavilion had to be dismantled in 1930. However, the need to reconstruct it was considered due to the significant interest generated by the work and its subsequent recognition.
In 1980, Oriol Bohigas was the driving force behind this initiative from the Urban Planning Delegation of the Barcelona City Council. It was through this effort that Ignasi de Sola-Morales, Cristian Cirici, and Fernando Ramos were assigned as the architects responsible for the research, design, and direction of the reconstruction, which began in 1983. The new building was inaugurated in its original location in 1986.
The German Pavilion is located at the western end of Carles Buigas Square, in a space perpendicular to the main axis of Montjuic. It rises on a horizontal rectangular plane covered in travertine marble, which not only serves as the building's foundation but also distances it from the immediate proximity of the street.
Above the base, a composition is developed based on a regular grid of eight columns. The Pavilion defines its spaces through the orthogonal interplay of shifted planes, arranging the walls in such a way as to create absolute spatial fluidity within the building. Large continuous windows draw the outer boundary, expressing transparency, the concept of freedom and progress that the German Republic sought to reflect at that time.
A view of the whole makes us aware of the horizontal nature of its design, the base, the large overhangs of the roof, coupled with its proportions, accentuate this quality. The lightness of the steel columns that connect these planes gives it an ethereal character, creating a sense of weightlessness.
Mies Van Der Rohe designed the building by separating the structure from the enclosure. This creates a detachment of the roof from the walls since it is supported by the metal cross-shaped columns. This allows the walls to be arranged more freely, serving as support elements in some cases and space organizers in others.
We can clearly identify three spaces within the work: a reception courtyard, a built core, and a rear courtyard.
The first space is defined as the entrance area, featuring a water pool with a gravel-covered bottom. An intriguing interplay is created between the solid walls' opacity, the water's reflective surface, and the pavilion's transparent edge. A corner characterized by emptiness and transparency serves as the entrance to the building.
The built core is defined by walls in different materials and controlled views through transparencies, opacities, overlaps, and voids. Here, noble materials such as glass, steel, and four types of marble covering the building's metal framework come into play: Roman travertine, green Alpine marble, ancient Greek green marble, and golden onyx from the Atlas Mountains in Africa. A nearly minimalist purity of forms characterizes their arrangement and design.
The final courtyard is enclosed by a wall and features a small water pool. Positioned on it is the statue "Alba" by Georg Kolbe. The image of the statue is reflected multiple times on the water's surface, the glass, and the marble.
Today, due to its significance as a representative work of the Modern Movement, the Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion welcomes visitors every day, offering informative tours throughout the year. Additionally, it occasionally hosts presentations and temporary exhibitions.
