1929 Barcelona International Exposition

The 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (also 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition, or Expo 1929) took place from 20 May 1929 to 15 January 1930 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.[1] It was held on Montjuïc, the hill overlooking the harbor, southwest of the city center, and covered an area of 118 ha (291.58 acres) at an estimated cost of 130 million pesetas ($25,083,921 in United States dollars).[1] Twenty European nations participated in the fair, including Germany, Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Romania and Switzerland. In addition, private organizations from the United States and Japan participated.[1]

In Barcelona, the previous 1888 Universal Exposition led to a great advance in the city’s economic, architectural and technological growth and development, including the reconstruction of the Parc de la Ciutadella, the city's main public park. A new exposition was proposed to highlight the city's further technological progress and increase awareness abroad of modern Catalan industry. This new exhibition required the urbanization of Montjuïc and its adjacent areas and the renovation of public spaces, principally the Plaça d'Espanya.

The exposition required much urban development within the city[2], and became a testing-ground for the new architectural styles developed in the early 20th century. At a local level, this meant the consolidation of Noucentisme, a classical style which replaced the modernism which dominated Catalonia at the turn of the century. Furthermore, it marked the arrival in Spain of international avant-garde tendencies, especially rationalism, as seen in the design of the Barcelona Pavilion, created by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.[2] The Exposition also allowed for the erection of several emblematic buildings and structures, including the Palau Nacional de Catalunya,[2] the Font màgica de Montjuïc,[2] the Teatre Grec[2], Poble Espanyol, and the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.[2]

Contents

Origin of the Exposition

The idea of a new exhibition began to take shape in 1905, promoted by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, as a way of bringing out the new Plan of links designed by Léon Jaussely. It was initially proposed that the Exposition should be constructed in the area of the Besòs River, but instead, in 1913, planners selected Montjuïc as the site. While originally planned for 1917, the exposition was delayed due to World War I.

Puig i Cadafalch's project was supported by the Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, especially Francesc d'Assis, one of its leaders, who took charge of negotiations with the various agencies involved in the project. Thus, in 1913 the organization created a joint committee for organizing the event, consisting of representatives of the National Labor Development and the City Council, be appointed commissioners of the organization Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Francesc Cambo and Joan Pitch i Pon.

In 1915, the committee presented a first draft by Puig i Cadafalch, which was divided into three specific projects, each commissioned to a team of architects. Puig i Cadafalch and Guillem Busquets reserved the area at the base of the mountain, Lluis Domenech i Montaner and Manuel Vega i March planned the area atop the mountain—designated the International Section, and Enric Sagnier and August Font i Carreras Miramar developed a Maritime Section.

The principal difficulty of the project was the amount of land required. The exposition would need at least 110 hectares, and the Barcelona City Council had only 26 by 1914. Thus, using an 1879 law, they resorted to land-expropriation. In 1917, development work began at Montjuïc, with assistant engineer Marià Rubio i Bellver. Landscaping was done by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, who was assisted by Maria Rubio i Tudurí Nicolau. Their design was distinctly Mediterranean, with classical influences, combining the gardens with the construction of pergolas and terraces. Likewise, a funicular was built to allow access to the top of the mountain, as well as an aerial tram, which connected the mountain with the Port of Barcelona. However, the aerial tram did not opened until after the fair, in 1931.

Construction, while somewhat delayed, was completed in 1923, but the introduction that year of the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera delayed the actual exposition, which finally occurred in 1929, coinciding with the Ibero-American Exhibition in Seville. Also, the delay made obsolete the goal of promoting electrical industry, so that in 1925 the event was renamed the International Exhibition in Barcelona. The change of objective led to the reorganization of the exhibition, so that it was devoted to three aspects: industry, the sports, and art. In this new period, the organization fell into the hands of Pere Domènech i Roura, the Marquis de Foronda, and Director of Works.

Further development of the event allowed for a great stylistic diversity in the buildings of various architects, some loyal to Noucentisme prevailing at the time, others reflecting recurring historicist and eclectic trends that persisted since the late nineteenth century, with particular influence from the Spanish Baroque. Despite this diversity, most buildings—at least, the official ones—had a common theme of monumentality and grandiosity. In contrast, buildings in the International Section, home to pavilions representing other countries and institutions, had a more contemporary aspect, parallel to the current state of the art of the period. This particularly included Art Deco and rationalism.

The exposition was opened by King Alfonso XIII on 19 May 1929. Led by Mayor Darius Rumeu i Freixa, Baron de Viver, it was attended by some 200,000 people in the general public and by many Catalonian political, economic, and cultural figures, including the Prime Minister (and dictator) Miguel Primo de Rivera.

In terms of cost, the exhibition lost money, with a deficit of 180 million pesetas. Its success was relative; during the event the stock market crashed in New York, on 29 October 1929, which reduced the number of participants in the event. At the social level it was achieved great success, as it allowed for a large influx of people, and achievements for the city of Barcelona, especially in the fields of architecture and urbanism.

The Avenue of the Americas from the Plaça Espanya

Exposition Center

The Exposition Center, el recinte de l'Exposició, was built to designs by Puig i Cadafalch with two different types of buildings: palaces, the sections devoted to the official competition; and flags, representing countries, institutions and companies. The exposition's main axis began at the Plaça d'Espanya, where four large hotels were built, through the Avenue of Americas (now the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina), which housed the grand buildings of the Exposition, to the foot of the mountain, the site of the "Magic Fountain", the Palaces Alfonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia, and a monumental staircase.

The Avenue of the Americas was decorated with numerous fountains, as well as glass columns—illuminated by electricity—designed by Charles Buïgas, which caused a great sensation. On both sides of the avenue were the main buildings of the Exposition: Palace of Costumes; the Palace of Communications and Transport; and the Palace of Metallurgy, Electricity and Locomotion. Today, these buildings are used as exposition spaces in the Barcelona Trade Fair. Along the avenue was Mechanics Square (now the Plaça de l'Univers), at the center of which stood the "Tower of Light", and the sculpture El Treball, de Josep Llimona.

Plaça d'Espanya

The Plaça d'Espanya was included in Ildefons Cerdà's plan for the expansion of Barcelona, the Eixample. It was to be a major point of communication in the route between Barcelona and the towns of Baix Llobregat. After a first draft by the urbanized square Josep Amargós in 1915, the square was finally built to plans by Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Guillem Busquets, and then finished by Antoni Darder i Marsa. It was fully complete by 1926. They designed the square as a monumental rotary, to be surrounded by a Baroque colonnade. The design was influenced by Bernini's St. Peter's Square in Rome. Dividing the square from the Avenue of the Americas Ramon Reventós designed two bell-towers, which were heavily influenced by the one at the Basilica of Saint Mark in Venice.

At the center of the square another monumental fountain was built, designed by Josep Maria Jujol. Its ornate decoration is an allegory of Spain, surrounded by water. Three niches with sculptures symbolize the three principal rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, the Ebro, Guadalquivir, and Tagus. Around the central sculpture, three decorated columns symbolize Religion (a cross with Ramon Llull, Saint Teresa of Jesus, and Saint Ignatius of Loyola), Heroism (a sword with Pelagius of Asturias, James I and Isabella), and Arts ( a book with Ausias March and Miguel de Cervantes).

The Magic Fountain

The famous Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, designed by Carles Buïgas, was constructed at the foot of Montjuic, and amazed the public with its light and water displays. Today, it is still an emblem of the Catalonian capital, and musical lightshows are often performed there during the annual festival of La Mercè, as well as during every weekend. Originally, [[The Four Columns |four columns]] were built in this location by Puig i Cadafalch to represent the Catalan flag, but these were removed by President Primo de Rivera's orders.

Official Sections

References

  1. ^ a b c "Barcelone 1929" (in French). Archived from the original on 2009-09-30. http://www.bie-paris.org/main/pages/files/expos/1929-bis.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-27. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f Francesc-Xavier Mingorance i Ricart. "La Exposición Internacional de Barcelona de 1929" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-09-30. http://www.liceus.com/cgi-bin/tcua/0900.asp. Retrieved 2009-09-27. 
  3. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 110-112.
  4. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 120-122.
  5. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 112-115.
  6. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 132-135.
  7. ^ "La Exposición Internacional de 1929". http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=120389. 
  8. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 135-143.
  9. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 149-152.
  10. ^ M. Carmen Grandas, L'Exposició Internacional de Barcelona de 1929, pp. 154-155.
  11. ^ "Cronología de Montjuïc". http://www.bcn.es/publicacions/b_mm/ebmm61/bmm61_qc71.htm. 
Retrospectively recognised expositions
BIE recognised
BIE recognition withdrawn
BIE recognised horticultural exhibitions