Route through the most emblematic buildings of Seville in 1929
The splendour that radiates from the city of Seville lies in everything that makes it up: in its people, in its customs, in its streets, in its buildings… And it is the latter that endow Seville with a special magnetism.
The architecture of Seville’s metropolis is an exhibition of legacy, history and art. And by legacy we mean the architectural heritage that completely transformed the city and turned it into the Seville it is today: the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. This highly prestigious event placed the city on the world cultural map, as its celebration meant reorganising the city and constructing new buildings and monuments that, to this day, are the most emblematic of Seville.
In this post we invite you to discover with us the architectural richness that the Seville of ’29 brought us.
Exploring Seville in 1929
The first stop on our route through 20th century Seville is the famous Hotel Alfonso XIII, commissioned by Alfonso XIII himself. This hotel was intended to be the most luxurious in Europe and was to house the leaders of the different countries attending the Exhibition. Today it is still a great luxury hotel and a reference point in the city.
We continue our walk through the past and the present and arrive at Calle San Fernando, the Parque de María Luisa and the Plaza de España. The latter, a masterpiece by Aníbal González, the father of Sevillian regionalist architecture, is one of the city’s most characteristic spaces and the site of the inauguration of the Ibero-American Exposition. Its majesty, its tiles, its elegant bridges and its 49 benches (representing the 49 Spanish provinces) make it the most emblematic square in the city.
In María Luisa Park we find the Plaza de América, also by Aníbal González. This park also houses three architectural jewels belonging to the Expo: the Mudejar Pavilion, which today is the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs; the Renaissance Palace, which is now the Archaeological Museum; and the Royal Pavilion, which was designed to contain the art collections of the Royal Household. These three pavilions are of three different architectural styles: Mudejar (Mudejar Pavilion), Renaissance (Renaissance Palace) and Gothic (Royal Pavilion), creating a perfect symbiosis in a dreamlike setting.
Continue your tour of the most emblematic buildings
However, there are many more pavilions belonging to Expo ’29 that are worth mentioning. Although 117 buildings were constructed for the occasion, only 25 remain today. These were built to serve as the headquarters of the different countries that took part in the Expo. For the headquarters of the Seville Pavilion, the Casino de la Exposición was built, where today numerous cultural activities are held, and the Lope de Vega Theatre.
Other of the city’s most emblematic buildings are the former pavilions of Peru, Uruguay and Chile. The majestic Chile pavilion is now the School of Applied Arts, the Uruguay pavilion is used by the University of Seville and the Peru pavilion is home to the House of Science and the Peruvian Consulate.
Continuing our tour of the Latin American pavilions we come to the pavilion of Argentina, located on the Paseo de las Delicias. It is currently the Dance Conservatory, a building that sticks in the mind of everyone who sees it and whose silhouette stands out among all the surrounding buildings. In the Porvenir neighbourhood we can also find the old Mexican pavilion, which has pre-Columbian details on its façade and is currently used by the University of Seville. Next to the Avenida de la Raza is the Colombia pavilion, an amazing and unique building.
Our route ends at the pavilion of our neighbouring country, Portugal. Today the seat of the consulate of the country itself, it stands as a building in the neo-baroque historicist style with unparalleled and picturesque elements, such as its glazed tile dome.
And this is the Seville of 1929: art and beauty in its purest form, making Seville a splendid city full of culture and symbolism.
