The Barcelona Pavilion: An Architectural Case Study

The Barcelona Pavilion Redefined Modernism

The Barcelona Pavilion, built to serve as a temporary landmark for the 1929 International Exposition, created a lasting effect on the modernist style. The design’s use of open-concept spaces, contrasting materials, and natural light redefined the modernist movement and reinvigorated the world’s fascination with the design style during its reconstruction. After a trip to visit the site in Barcelona, Spain, our architects in Austin, Texas, fell in love with the structure. In our architectural case study of The Barcelona Pavilion, we will discuss the history of the commission, Lilly Reich’s under-credited role in the planning, the materials and design elements used, and the lasting popularity of the Barcelona Chair.

The History of The Barcelona Pavilion

The Deutscher Werkbund, a German association of architects and designers, was commissioned to design The Barcelona Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. The building was intended to open the German section of the exhibition and symbolize the country’s progress following World War I. Commissioner Georg von Schnitzler requested a design that would reflect the new Weimar Germany’s progressive attitude. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich created plans for a simple form utilizing luxurious materials. They designed a minimalist modern space with a free-flowing floor plan and a floating roof that would inspire many modernist buildings to come. 

The Barcelona Pavilion is set on a hilly site overlooking the Barcelona harbor, which inspired a tranquil design that would force visitors to notice the landscape and blur the lines between interior and exterior spaces. The scenery and structure itself became the exhibit, as the pavilion was left bare with only a single sculpture and custom-designed furniture dotting the open area. The unique Barcelona Chair made explicitly for this pavilion would be reproduced because of its overwhelming popularity and enter homes worldwide. 

Since The Barcelona Pavilion was designed as a temporary exhibition space, the iconic structure was demolished in 1930, not even a full year from its completion. The creative liberation in Germany would also come to a close soon following. Nazi rule took over only three years after the 1929 exposition, which had celebrated the country’s newfound freedoms and ideas. By 1933, the once-thriving Bauhaus school was closed due to government pressure, and architects from Deutscher Werkbund fled or were forced out of practice.

Decades later, as the modernist movement began to lose popularity among designers, a revitalization occurred in 1983 when Catalan architects decided to reconstruct The Barcelona Pavilion permanently. The team utilized historical drawings and excavated footings on the site to redesign and construct a copy of Mies and Reich’s original design. By 1986, the new pavilion was opened, receiving both praise and judgment from architects and critics. Nevertheless, the reopening of The Barcelona Pavilion ignited a new interest in modernism design that is still withstanding today.

Lilly Reich’s Role in Designing The Barcelona Pavilion

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is often solely credited with designing the iconic Barcelona Pavilion. However, Lilly Reich, a partner in the planning, had an equal, if not more significant, role in creating the famous structure and remains under-credited for her role.

Reich started her journey into the field of architecture after studying design and textiles. She worked with leaders in the field like Wiener Werkstatte and Josef Hoffman, and she went on to practice independently. She joined the Deutscher Werkbund, the German association of designers credited with developing modern architecture and the Bauhaus school of design, in 1911. This state-sponsored coalition was formed to reinvigorate Germany’s design industry and stay competitive after World War I. In 1920, Reich was appointed as an artistic director of Werkbund, where she worked alongside Mies on projects like The Barcelona Pavilion in 1928. While she shared the same role and made the majority of the design choices for the pavilion, Mies still receives more credit for the structure and its impact on the design world. 

After the pavilion’s debut and the nazi fall of Germany, Mies fled to America to practice architecture. Reich stayed behind to preserve what was left of the Bauhaus school. She worked in a forced labor camp during the war, and after World War II, helped restore the school, which officially opened again in 1950 after her death.

 The Barcelona Pavilion: Materials and Design Elements

The Barcelona Pavilion works on the idea of “less is more.” The design offers a fluid space where room hierarchies are diluted, and the exterior and interior spaces seamlessly blend together. The combination of rich stones next to industrial metals creates a contrast between the ancient and modern. This structure redefined modernism and influenced thousands of other works. 

5 Materials Used in The Barcelona Pavilion Design

Marble

During the original winter construction, quarries in Germany were closed. Instead of utilizing German stones, materials were sourced from Greece. Rich green marble, golden onyx, and travertine offered an old-world luxury to contrast beautifully with the modern metal and glass construction.

Glass

Floor-to-ceiling glass panels were used for the first time during the 1929 exhibition, creating an open and airy space connected with the outside world. The panels are both translucent and reflective for a mirroring effect that doesn’t inhibit the carefully framed views.

Cruciform Pillars

Only eight cruciform pillars support the entire roof structure, offering a simplistic and open layout and becoming a focal point in themselves. The design hinges on the pillars’ power to bear the roof’s weight, allow for an open plan, and provide the opportunity to use the expansive glass panels.

Water

Two reflecting ponds in the exterior hardscape create mirrors on the outside of the structure, reflecting the surrounding walls, scenery, and the one sculpture in the exhibition space. A base of black glass is used at the bottom of the ponds to increase the reflective effect.

Der Morgen Sculpture (dawn)

The Der Morgen (dawn) sculpture by Georg Kolbe sits in the center of a reflecting pond, mirrored from all angles. The piece was brought from the Berlin Cecile Garten Park, where its partner Der Abend (evening) resided in 1926 and was returned in 1930 following the exhibition.

3 Design Elements of The Barcelona Pavilion

Simplicity

The Barcelona Pavilion is based on simplicity. The exhibition space was left open with limited furnishings and artwork to force visitors to look at the architecture and feel the space’s design.

Negative Space

Based on a grid system, the pavilion’s design utilizes negative space to direct the viewers’ gaze and force them to see something they would not have previously noticed. The roof appears to hover, and views are framed by pillars, walls of marble, and reflective ponds in unique and unexpected ways. 

Natural Light

Floor-to-ceiling glass panels were used for the first time in the construction of the pavilion. These panels flood the space with natural light, creating interesting shadows and blurring the line between interior and exterior.

The Legacy of the Barcelona Chair

Like The Barcelona Pavilion itself, the custom-designed Barcelona Chair has been recreated and copied into thousands of homes and commercial spaces worldwide. The Barcelona Chair was the first example of chrome steel used in furniture design, creating an industrial feel that is also welcoming with soft lines. Designed by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, the original chairs were covered in ivory pigskin. Reproductions are commonly seen in white or black leather. With the Barcelona Chair’s popularity withstanding a century later, it is clear the impact The Barcelona Pavilion created in the modernist movement and design field. 

Do you have a favorite building?

Tell Us About It!