German Pavilion, Barcelona

The German Pavilion is an exhibition building in Montjuïc, Spain, made up of an open platform with glass walls, steel columns, and polished stone slabs. The floor plan divides into several areas arranged around two shallow pools of water.

The building was raised for the 1929 World's Fair as a reception hall for the German delegation and was taken down a year later. The city reconstructed it between 1983 and 1986 on the original site.

The structure is often named after its architect, Mies van der Rohe, and demonstrates a new way of joining interior and exterior space. Visitors today see how thin slabs of polished stone and glass catch the light differently than traditional walls.

Access is from Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia near Plaça d'Espanya, and paths inside are level. Visitors who take their time can follow the arrangement of space and material at their own pace.

The green marble surface on one of the central walls comes from the Alps and shows a fine pattern of natural veining. The slab was chosen so the pattern unfolds almost symmetrically when you stand in front of it.

Location: Montjuïc

Inception: 1928

Architects: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Official opening: May 1929

Architectural style: rationalism, modern architecture

Made from material: travertine, onyx, marble

Part of: 1929 Barcelona International Exposition

Address: Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 7

Website: https://miesbcn.com/ca/el-pavello

GPS coordinates: 41.37056,2.15000

Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:01