A Visit to Mies on Montjuc
Of all my visits to Barcelona I had yet to make the mandatory architectural pilgrimage to see Mies German Pavilion from the 1929 Barcelona Exhibition.
While I find Mies to be the ultimate anal architect of the 20th century there is no denying his Bauhaus inspired design had a profound influence on the world and is a big reason we live amongst so much glass and steel today.
Woke up to a View of sunrise over Montjuc. The shape of Calatrava's Olimpica Needle is on the right. The outline of a "Castle" shape on the left is Barcelona's premier art Museum the MNAC.
Sunrise Over Montjuc
The Mies Pavilion was to be a symbol of the new emerging, progressive, and pacifist (wow! that sure did'nt last....) Weimar Germany.
Mies prepared a design offering quiet repose to weary fair visitors. The simple pavilion contained no displays. It was composed around a reflecting pool, single sculpture and featured his (now iconic) "Barcelona" chair and ottoman which were considered suitable for a visit by the king and queen of Spain and specifically designed for the pavilion. The Pavilion was demolished in 1930 and then rebuilt to exacting specifications permanently in 1986.
The "Barcelona" Pavilion
One Continuous Indoor Outdoor Space
We completed our last day with a few steps up the hill to the 1929 El Palau Nacional home to Barcelona's MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalonia). The museum offers stunning views and is the starting point of Barcelona's 2 mile long Magic Fountain. It is also home to an amazing collection of art, sculpture, and photography including a few items of Modernisme furniture from Gaudi, a Picasso and some Spanish Avant Garde works by Dali.
Some of my favorites:
In the Presence of the Lord
Francesc Masriera 1891
Woman From Grenada
Herman Camarasa 1914
Avant Garde Posters
Otto Lloyd Photos
My Fave...
Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem
Ramon Casas 1897
Like the men on the bike it was now time to pack up and bid Adios to Barcelona.
Roadboy's Travels © 2013
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