Barcelona's 3 Modernist buildings include one of the most influential structures in architectural history. Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion — built for the 1929 International Exposition, demolished, and meticulously reconstructed in 1986 — defined a new spatial language: flowing open plan, chromium cruciform columns, walls of onyx, marble, and tinted glass that divide space without enclosing it. It remains a pilgrimage site for architects worldwide.
Richard Meier's Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) brought late Modernist clarity to the Raval quarter with white porcelain-enamelled panels, ramps, and glass walls that filter Mediterranean light. Mario Catalan Nebot's residential building contributes a quieter Modernist voice, demonstrating how the style adapted to Barcelona's dense urban fabric. Together, these buildings show Modernism operating across programmes — from a pavilion with almost no function to a working museum and an apartment block.
