Pavelló de la República CRAI Library

Location of the building in Paris

In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the government of the Spanish Republic participated in the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la vie moderne, better known as the Paris International Exhibition of 1937. The outbreak of the war in 1936 had a clear impact on the Spanish exhibition, and drew significant international attention to it. The Spanish pavilion included Pablo Picasso's Guernica, the now-famous depiction of the horrors of war; Alexander Calder's sculpture Mercury Fountain; and Joan Miró's painting Catalan peasant in revolt. The exhibition lasted from 25 May until 25 November 1937. The Pavilion was opened but not until July 12, and was located at Avenida del Trocadero near the pavilions of Germany and the Soviet Union.

The project architect was the philosopher Jose Gaos, curator of the flag; the painter Josep Renau; and writer Max Aub, who organized the contents of the exhibition pavilion and commissioned the construction of the building to Josep Maria Sert and Luis Lacasa. Audiovisual production was by Luis Buñuel, appointed coordinator of the Propaganda the Information Service at the Embassy in Paris.

The building of the Hall of the Republic was conceived by its architect Josep Lluis Sert and Luis Lacasa as an empty container three stories tall.

The first floor was devoted to information about the Spanish Civil War while the second focused on the arts and popular sections. On the second floor was a large mural by Joan Miró.

Due to limited time and building materials, many prefabricated panels were used in the creation of the building. The architects also had to adapt to building on an irregular terrain while preserving the trees already on the property. It had an area of 1,400 square meters.

In the entrance of the building were posters, photographs, photomontages, proclamations, information panels, as well as art and craft sent directly from Spanish central and regional governments and various unions. Much of the exhibits sought to educate how life was before and after the Spanish Republic, as well as the ongoing war situation.

One of its main attractions was the famous Guernica by Pablo Picasso, located in one wall of the central courtyard. Another attraction was the Mercury Fountain, made by Alexander Calder.

The building now

Main entrance

With the Olympic Games of 1992, the City Council commended the architects Antonio Ubach, Juan Miguel Hernandez, and Miguel Espinet Leon by gifting them a replica of the Pavilion of the Republic that had been presented at the International Exhibition of Paris of 1937.

Today the building is occupied by CRAI Library Hall of the Republic, which has one of the most important collections in the world on Second Republic Civil War, Francoism, Transition and exile in Spain, especially in Catalonia and the International Centre for Historical Studies, founded by Jaume Vicens Vives.

A reproduction of Picasso's famous Guernica can be seen, as was its original location, on a wall of the open courtyard of the pavilion.

• Official website