Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) created his pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition to showcase the creativity of Weimar Germany—and locals sometimes call it the German Pavilion. Like other pavilions at the show, it was temporary, but during the 1980s, as the structure’s fame grew, local architects reconstructed it. A Barcelona architecture tour is a great way to enjoy the building and understand its significance—and appreciate another design icon, the low-slung white leather, and steel Barcelona Chair Mies created for the Exposition.
The Barcelona Pavilion is in the Montjuïc neighborhood, right by the Magic Fountain, about two miles (three kilometers) southeast of Catalunya Square. Catch the metro to Plaça d’Espanya station (Line 1 and Line 3). It’s about a 10-minute walk.
The pavilion is open from morning to evening all year round, with earlier closing during the winter season. It sometimes closes for private gatherings, so it’s worth booking ahead of time to establish availability.
The sinuous curves of homegrown talent Antoni Gaudí draw focus in Barcelona, with the Sagrada Familia cathedral and Park Güell palace on most travelers’ highlights lists. Another Catalan modernist, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, created exuberant buildings such as the Palace of Catalan Music and the Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, now a center for architecture. But architects including Norman Foster and Jean Nouvel have followed in Mies’ footsteps and left their mark on the city.
