Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe

To build its pavilion in the 1929 World Expo in Barcelona, Spain, Germany chose the architect Mies van der Rohe. The pavilion should be a face of Germany after the First World War, which embraced progressively modern culture and yet still rooted in its classical history. Unlike other Expo pavilions which housed numerous artworks and sculptures, the German pavilion was intended to be a building that radiated tranquility, an escape from the hustle of the Expo. At the time, every aspect of the building exemplified architectural modernism of the 20th century.

Located on a narrow site and raised on a plinth of travertine, the pavilion had 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 roof framed the visitors'  view more effectively, and in conjunction with strategically placed walls encouraged movement and circulation. Each movement would offer new perspective and details previously unseen.

The building used glass, steel, and different kinds of marble (Roman travertine, green Alpine marble, ancient green marble from Greece, and golden onyx from the Atlas Mountains). When exposed to the sun, the travertine (most used in the building) would illuminate almost as a secondary source of light. This adds to the dissolution of spatial demarcation between indoor and outdoor, transforming the pavilion into one continuous volume.

There was only a sculpture and only a type of furniture in the building. Van der Rohe designed a chair specifically for the pavilion, a leather-upholstered metallic profile which became a design icon. The "Barcelona chair" is still used until now. Strategically placed at one end of the small pond is a sculpture titled Dawn by Georg Kolbe, Van der Rohe's contemporary. The curves of the sculpture offers a contrast to the straight lines of the building, and its reflection in water, glass, and marble multiply its effect.

Photo from Fundacio Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona (miesbcn.com), archdaily.com, and socialdesignmagazine.com.