The Spatial Question
The German Pavilion designed by Mies Van Der Rohe in 1928 for the Barcelona exposition of 29 was and is unique in the spatial perceptions. Although it had and has been criticized by many well known architects and critics and may some of those criticisms may be true but still we can not deny that the space created there is not space you would run into daylily and that is a space unlike any other. But as Martin Heidegger explains in his essay “Der Ursprung des Kunstwerkes” and as do the same Bruno Zevi says in his work “Saper vedere l’architettura” first to talk about the spatial question in the pavilion we should determine what is the space and what it is it’s essence. Is the space a thing? Are the walls and the roof in a building and the planes in the plans the space’s essence therefore the architecture?
My answer to these questions is “No”. The essence of the space are not these but it’s essence is what is perceived by the viewer who is personally present in the pavilion and any other work of architecture, And the essence of the architecture itself is the space. It is true that they are defined by walls physically but they are nothing but constructive details. Those who try to see the pavilion as a thing, as a building, never reach the true meaning of it which is the sensations that the pavilion delivers to the viewers. Those who try to look instead of seeing, and to understand instead of perceive are those to whom the pavilion is seemed vulgar, normal and full of flaws.
Now we try to analyze the space of the pavilion. In doing so we will try to concentrate also on the feelings each part of the pavilion transfers. Despite the pavilion’s unity and cohesion the pavilion is a conjunction of lesser spaces which are completely connected as it is a trajectory to follow. Each of these spaces transfers a different sensation.
The first space to be talked about will be the podium. It’s main function is to hide whole pavilion from the eyes of visitors. It has the same function of the entrance of the Acropolis of Athens which is a play of shadow and light. Here Mies Van Der Rohe has used an elevation to represent the pavilion in the second you go up the stairs, to take away the chance of you starting dialyzing and analyzing the pavilion unconsciously and stop perceiving the pavilion as whole thing. The first thing you will run into after coming up is the water pool where the surface of the shallow water nest to all the rocks at the end of pool create a material – immaterial Effect and weightlessness, A sensation which is present through all the pavilion and creates a silent infinite space which space flows from each part to another inside the pavilion and in the end out of the pavilion.
One of another elements of the pavilion are the steel columns which the mirroring effect obscures their actual presence and thanks to them the roof acquires a comparable floating quality which contributes to the sensation of it’s infinite space.
In the pavilion the verticality is challenged by the horizontality, making it limited and lesser in importance while in his later designs in United States we can see that this is the horizontality that is challenged by verticality as his skyscrapers are actually standing pavilions.
Another of characteristics of the pavilion and most of the Mies Van Der Rohe’s woks are the interactive relationship with nature that exists as the nature also is present in the pavilion as inseparable element of the pavilion used to create a sensation of relaxation and equilibrium. One of another elements of the pavilion are it’s great series of reflections, in the water, the steel columns and at last but not least in the windows. Intentions of each of these reflection are different, I the steel columns to hide them; in the windows to duplicate the space and show two views at the same time and in water to achieve a sensation of silence.
The symmetries in the pavilion are much debated in the pavilion. But those who criticize the symmetries in the pavilion consider once more wrongly the symmetry in a building as a principal element of a building while it is just an element which contributes to the visual aspects. In the pavilion exist both lateral and vertical symmetries.
Also in the façade exists a visual symmetry.
The walls of the pavilion are autonomous and flowing planes minimum thickness of 18 cm in section. It is easy to sea the influence of El Lissitzky’s paintings in the flowing walls of the pavilion. The last part of pavilion to be talked about here is the down which is a point of stillness and rest.
For resuming in the Pavilion exists an autonomous space which speaks of nothing else save itself.
