# Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe > The Barcelona Pavilion is a small building by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, built for the 1929 International Exposition on Montjuïc and one of the great icons of 20th-century architecture. A flat roof floats above slender chrome columns, walls are onyx and marble, and reflecting pools surround it. Rebuilt in the 1980s, it charges a small entry fee; allow 30 to 45 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/barcelona-pavilion - City: [Barcelona](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona), Spain - YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 40 min - Opening hours: Daily - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid, inexpensive ticket - Highlights: The onyx wall, the pools, the Morning statue - Time needed: 30–45 minutes - Barcelona chair: Designed for the pavilion - Nearby: The Magic Fountain, MNAC - Location: Montjuïc, Espanya metro (L1, L3) - Coordinates: 41.37056, 2.15000 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1929** — built for the International Exposition (source: English Wikipedia) - **1930** — dismantled after the exposition (source: English Wikipedia) - **1983–1986** — the pavilion was rebuilt (source: English Wikipedia) - **Mies van der Rohe** — and Lilly Reich designed it (source: English Wikipedia) ## About the Barcelona Pavilion It was built as Germany's national pavilion at the **1929 International Exposition**. The architects **Ludwig Mies van der Rohe** and **Lilly Reich** didn't design a hall full of exhibits but made the building itself the exhibit: a space for rest and receptions, all about light, materials and emptiness. After the exposition it was taken down in **1930**, but photographs and drawings made it a legend. In **1983–1986** it was faithfully rebuilt on the same site from the original plans. Every architecture student studies it today, as the clearest early expression of 'less is more'. ## Inside the pavilion The pavilion looks very simple: a thin flat roof rests on eight cruciform **chrome columns**, and the walls carry no load, standing freely to divide the space. So there are no rooms inside; you drift from one zone to the next as walls close and open views. It's all about the materials: pale Roman **travertine** underfoot, green Alpine marble, tinted glass and the famous wall of **golden onyx**, its veining like a painting. Beside it lie two **pools**: the large one mirrors the sky, while in the small one, lined with green marble, stands Georg Kolbe's bronze statue *Morning*. ## What to see at the pavilion - **The onyx wall** — golden stone with natural veining. - **Chrome columns** — slender cruciform supports. - **The large pool** — a mirror for the sky and the building. - **The Morning statue** — a bronze figure in the small pool. - **The Barcelona chair** — a design classic made for the pavilion. - **The free plan** — walls that never form rooms. > **When to go** The best time is a sunny morning or late afternoon, when low light brings out the texture of the stone and the reflections in the pools. The pavilion is small, so it's rarely crowded, though architecture student groups visit at weekends. Tickets are sold on the foundation's site and at the door. ## The Barcelona chair and its legacy For the pavilion, Mies and Reich created the **Barcelona chair**, with a slim X-shaped steel frame and leather cushions. It's still made today and sits in hotel lobbies and offices around the world, and here you can see the space it was designed for. The pavilion shaped the whole of 20th-century architecture, from glass skyscrapers to private houses with picture windows. It's home to the Mies van der Rohe Foundation, which awards one of Europe's leading architecture prizes, and it sometimes hosts exhibitions and installations by contemporary artists. ## How to get to the pavilion 1. Metro **Espanya** (L1, L3), then up the avenue towards the [Magic Fountain](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/magic-fountain); the pavilion is on the left, 10 minutes. 2. From the fountain, a 2-minute walk towards the Poble Espanyol. 3. Bus **150** stops by the pavilion. 4. From the [Palau Nacional](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/mnac), 5 minutes down the steps. ## Tips for your visit The pavilion is easy to miss: it's low and tucked behind trees beside the Magic Fountain. If architecture isn't your thing, 20 to 30 minutes is enough, but design lovers should take their time, walking round several times to see how views and reflections shift. It combines easily with the Magic Fountain, the Palau Nacional and the Poble Espanyol, all on the same slope of Montjuïc. Photography is allowed throughout. The open terraces have little shade, so bring water and sunglasses on a hot day. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Find the pavilion beside the Magic Fountain - [ ] Study the onyx wall - [ ] Spot the Morning statue in the small pool - [ ] See the Barcelona chairs by the onyx wall - [ ] Photograph the reflections in the pool ## Places in Barcelona: compare and choose Places in Barcelona rated by YesGo. - [Camp Nou](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/camp-nou) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 45 min · Paid - [Casa Batlló](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/casa-batllo) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Paid - [Barcelona Pavilion](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/barcelona-pavilion) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Paid - [Casa Vicens](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/casa-vicens) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Casa Milà](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/casa-mila) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid - [Picasso Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/picasso-museum) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Paid - [National Art Museum of Catalonia](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/mnac) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Paid - [Dalí Theatre-Museum](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/dali-theatre-museum) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Paid ## Montjuïc in half a day The Palau Nacional, the Barcelona Pavilion and the hill. 1. [Montjuïc](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/montjuic) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free 2. [National Art Museum of Catalonia](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/mnac) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Paid 3. [Barcelona Pavilion](https://yesgo.io/spain/barcelona/barcelona-pavilion) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Paid ## Don't mix it up The Barcelona Pavilion isn't a hall in the Poble Espanyol or the palace on Montjuïc. It's the small modernist building beside the Magic Fountain. ## Tips - Easy to miss, by the fountain. - Best light in the morning or evening. - 30–45 minutes is enough. - The fountain and MNAC are close. ## Questions ### What is the Barcelona Pavilion? Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich's famous building for the 1929 International Exposition. ### How long do you need at the pavilion? 30 to 45 minutes. ### Is it the original building? It was dismantled in 1930 and faithfully rebuilt in 1983–1986. ### Where is the Barcelona Pavilion? On Montjuïc, next to the Magic Fountain; Espanya metro. ### Why is the pavilion so famous? It became a model of modernism: a free plan, slender columns, glass and precious stone. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Hours and prices weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Barcelona Pavilion - Mies van der Rohe Foundation, miesbcn.com --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.