Old World VS New World Architecture and the Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona Spain is a remarkable city- a city full of Old World brick and stone buildings that dominate the wide streets of geometric designs and ancient sigils. Compacted within the city are massive Gothic Cathedrals, Greek Temples with all their columns, tall Roman Arches, and iconic Castles that elegantly shape this architecturally designed city. Sections of the old Roman Wall, made from red brick, still surround the city today in ruin that was once in the shape of a many pointed star.

Barcelona has a long history, stretching back countless generations, and the modern city shines today as a reminder of what was lost- a reminder of how our architecture was once constructed with sacred principles, as all of our Old World Cities were. We stand in awe of this marvelous city of Barcelona, and wonder how all these wondrous buildings were created. We wonder if they were constructed by magic, or the hands of giants to last forever, and wonder about the purpose of it all.

In 1929 Barcelona held the 'International Exposition'- the second of which Barcelona held, the first being in 1888 which was a much grandeur event in terms of architecture. It would be one of the last great expositions of its kind that almost every city around the world held during this era. The final exposition to show case, not only emerging technologies, but also the architecture of a forgotten civilization that was built to last forever- although we are told the architecture of the World's Expositions were constructed only for a temporary time, like Barcelona's International Exhibition of 1929.

Dwarfed by the Old World architecture and hidden below the red brick and stone- as if it didn't belong, or was ashamed of being so ugly among such beauty, is the 'German Pavilion' specifically constructed for the 1929 Exposition, now titled the 'Barcelona Pavilion', and is part of the fabulous geometric design of 'Reina Maria Cristina Avenue'. It is said to have ushered in the new modern construction era, heralded as one of the masterpieces by architect Miles van der Rohe- a German-American designer who is regarded as one of the leaders of Modern Architecture.

North of the Barcelona Pavilion, at the beginning of the Reina Maria Cristina Avenue, is the 'Espania Plaza- the Spanish Plaza', which contains the 'Plaza de toros de las Arena- The Bullring of the Arena'. We are told this Roman Colosseum was built in 1900 as a bullfighting arena, but is now a shopping mall and bus station.

In the center of the Spanish Plaza- which is the convergence of many wide streets that stretch into infinity in all directions and the beginning of the Reina Maria Cristina Avenue, is the 'Fuente de Plaza de España- the Fountain of the Spanish Plaza'. The massive monument is contained within concentric circles, and was supposed to have been built for the 1929 Exposition. Originally designed as a fountain and fashioned after the Vatican's St. Peter's Square, it showcases giant Greek statues looking out onto the city- could they be the original builders of Barcelona?

The twin 'Venetian Towers', constructed of red brick 47 meters high and both topped with a copper pyramid, usher you south down the wide boulevard of the 'Reina Maria Cristina'. 'The National Palace'- one of Spain's largest museums, and a royal residence for the king and queen, dominates the landscape with its four tall towers, large elliptical centre dome with two smaller domes on both sides, as giant statues watch you approach. We are told the cornerstone of the Spanish Renaissance inspired palace was placed in June 1926 and was completed, with all of it's facade, polished stone, and stained glass windows, before the opening day of the International Exposition 1929. Although all the other buildings of the exposition were constructed only for a short time, the National Palace was made to last forever.

Once you pass 'The Four Greek Columns' that spiral up to the height of 40 meters- reconstructions of earlier columns that are supposed to represent the four stripes of the 'Crown of Aragon', fountains rise up on both sides of the ascending stone stairs as you approach the palace.

Three quarters of the way up the 'Reina Maria Cristina Avenue' at the original location of 'The Four Greek Columns' is 'Carles Buigas Square'. Carles Buigas designed 'The Magical Fountain of Montjuic', which is the heart of a geometric cross that is shaped by the wide boulevard and corresponding architecture. The fountain sprays 700 gallons of water per second to the height of 51 meters.

To the west of 'The Magical Fountain' is the 'Italian Pavilion', which was once a very large Greek Revival Temple made of red brick before it was converted into an arena. Little is known today of the original building, only a few pictures remain. 'The Italian Pavilion' is now Barcelona's largest convention centre.

Tucked away to the east of 'The Magical Fountain' is the 'Barcelona Pavilion'. The pavilion was originally designed to be an entrance into the main exhibition during the 1929 International Exhibition, which is the castle 'Poble Espanyol'- 'Spanish Town'.

The Barcelona Pavilion which now stands on that location- the original was demolished in the 1930's immediately after the International Exhibition, was constructed between 1983 and 1986 and seems to be a pale shadow of the the original. Some architects have condemned it as being a fake, saying it shouldn't exist, "the original being an irreplaceable product of its sociopolitical context."

We are told, "Ludwig Mies van der Rohe' decided on a quiet spot at the narrow side of the wide diagonal axis", that offered a view of Spanish Town. It didn't contain any exhibits, the building was it's own display. The construction materials used were concrete, steel, glass and four different kinds of marble. The floor plan was simple coming out and over a pool, with the entire building supported on square columns of travertine stone, and a regular grid of cruciform steel columns interspersed by freely spaced planes.

After it's demolition in 1930, the 'Barcelona Pavilion' went on to inspire many important modernist buildings with its sharp corners and square constructs. Gone were the days of tall towers and columns, huge copper domed roofs that defy explanation, and elaborately constructed walls of red brick made to stand forever, with their exquisite art of stained glass windows- all replaced by steel, concrete and large sheets of glass. Gone were the grand monuments and statues of giants that most architects and artists of today don't really understand how they were made. Gone was the age of construction by the principles of the universe and sacred geometry.  It ushered in the age of square buildings without any architectural elegance, and skyscrapers without intention.

For the past sixty years, since Ludwig Mies van der Rohe constructed the Barcelona Pavilion, modern architecture has been made to be temporary- like we are told all the marvelous architecture of the International Exposition was, and just like the Barcelona Pavilion- but the Pavello Alemany has seemed to have survived after all.

Barcelona is indeed a city of wonder, and has lasted thousands years with its ancient and modern architecture. Our modern skyscrapers built yesterday, stand beside the ancient cathedrals built hundreds of years ago, maybe more. What Ludwig Mies van de Rohe did was bring in the age of Minimalist Architecture, where less is better, and ushered in our throw away society of today. I wonder which will last the longest, the steel and concrete, or brick and stone?

A critical essay written for my online course 'Architectural Imagination'- Harvard

February 2021

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