Art – Arty Archy

Barcelona is a city bursting with cultural landmarks and architectural innovation. Three places in particular provided clear insight into the arts and architecture unique to the city, these were: La Musea Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), and La Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona.

Musea Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
The IAAC
The CCCB

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona was an inspiring space. Beginning in the courtyard I found the scale of the building seemed to grow the closer I got to the glass facade, this effect was quite unnerving as it felt like the building could fall on top of me at any moment. The space was equally grand in scale at certain points within the interior, with tall ceilings supported on thick concrete columns. However, at different parts of the building the space seemed to contract to create unique rooms for the purpose of displaying art.

Detailed mural displayed within the interior of the CCCB
Exterior of the CCCB, highlighting the scale and the strange sense of space created by the angled facade.

The Institute for Advanced Art of Catalonia gave me greater insight into the application of technology in architecture. The architects used this technology to create fascinating experimental models, playing with light, materiality, structure and form. It was a real privilege to be able to talk with the tutors and students, they provided a unique perspective on architectural thinking that I wouldn’t have considered otherwise.

Experimental form models
Model depicting interior space, used to examine the impact of light.
Further experimentation models, focusing on forms of envelopes.

Site model depicting the entire city of Barcelona, taking up an entire wall within the IAAC.

La Musea Nacional d’Art de Catalunya allowed me to appreciate some of the classical art of Catalonia. The work on display was awe-inspiring, some of Catalonia’s most influential and renowned artists like Salvador Dali, Antoni Tapies and Pablo Casals. Unfortunately, I was angrily told off for trying to take pictures within the museum.

The scale and surrounding landscape architecture of La *Musea Nacional d’Art de Catalunya dwarfs the nearby Barcelona pavilion.*

Last summer, I was lucky enough to be offered a placement at an architectural consultants firm in Qatar. This gave me the opportunity to explore museums, libraries and civil infrastructure built at an almost ludicrous scales. The MIA still remains the most impressive and interesting building I was able to explore.

*Exterior view of the MIA, illustrating the scale of the building over the waterfront.*

Located in Doha, along the Corniche waterfront, the Museum of Islamic art acts as a foundation for the flourishing cultural scene of the city. Historically, Qatar was a country of Nomadic people, with a strong relationship to Islam and a reliance on the coastline for sustenance. The surge in economic growth of the country has allowed the modern built environment to expand greatly, arguably at the cost of historically significant Islamic architecture. Therefore, the MIA (Museum of Islamic Art) takes on the role of preserving and cultivating Islamic Art, allowing the people to gain further understanding and appreciation of the relationship between art and Islamic architecture.

Within a few hours, the exterior of the building had taken on a completely different hue.

Designed by I.M. Pei, the first thing about the MIA that struck me was the sheer scale. The structure stretches out over the water, commanding the attention of the observer. The building is constructed from limestone, this allows the hourly changes in light and shade to be captured by the buildings exterior. Most significantly though, the museum seemed to draw influence from traditional Islamic architecture with the domed roof, pillars and arches reminiscent of famous Mosques.

Interior courtyard, depicting elements of traditional Islamic Architecture in the grand arches. The limestone is shown capturing the changes in light and shade.

The interior of the MIA reflects the same impressive scale of the exterior, adorned with the geometric patterns of Islamic art, making for a humbling experience. The art on display was as varied as it was fascinating, ranging from weapons and armour from centuries of war in the middle east to tapestries, paintings and technology depicting the giant leaps forward in human culture achieved by Islamic architects, scholars and inventors. The interior rooms used a variety of textures and materials, including wood, stone and glass to create a unique environment allowing the observer to focus on the art on display.