Cultural Activity: Mies van der Rohe Museum and Magic Fountains of Montjuic

     

     One cultural activity that I experienced while I was in Barcelona was the Mies van der Rohe Pavillion (pictured above) and the Magic Fountains (pictured below) of Montjuic. Both sights are located near the Museu Nacional d'Ar de Catalunya, right by Montjuic at the Espana metro stop. While both of these sights were very interesting and thought-provoking on their own, they were made even more fascinating because I later learned about their development in my Barcelona: Past & Present class.

      The Barcelona Pavillion was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as the German Pavillion for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. The building is a basic structure made up of clean lines and is made out of glass, onyx, and white marble. The building includes pools of pristine-looking water and a statue, George Kolbe's Alba. Van der Rohe's original building was town down in 1930, but was reconstructed by Spanish architects in the 1980's. The reconstruction was based off of Mies van der Rohe's original designs as well as photographs. The building houses some of Mies van der Rohe's famous furniture, including modern-style chairs made out of metal and padded leather. The building was created in the Bauhaus style, exhibiting functionality and rationality. When I first entered the Pavillion, I was disappointed to find that I had paid to enter what is basically a museum housing only one statue. However, after walking around the Pavillion for a few minutes, I realized that it was an architectural masterpiece, and I appreciated the work even more after learning about it in class.

     After visiting the Pavillion, I walked to the nearby Magic Fountains of Montjuic. As I learned in class, the Magic Fountains were created for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. They were designed by Carles Buigas, an architect from Barcelona. Today, they still function as a beautiful sight and a major tourist attraction. Every Fridays and Saturdays from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM, and more often in the summer months, the fountains light up to music for approximately ten minutes every half hour. The water, lights, and music create an amazing spectacle. My favorite song that was included in the light show that I saw was "Forever Young." I saw the show at 8:30 PM on a warm Saturday night, just as the sky was beginning to grow dark. It was so beautiful and there were many families, children, and couples watching the show. When the light show ended, many of the people stayed in the area, laughing and enjoying the spring evening. I think it is a beautiful thing that this amazing piece of art that was created for the International Exhibition in 1929, in a time of innovation and change, is still able to bring so much joy to people today.