Spain Blog #58: Plaza de Espana Part 1: The Amazing Layout!

Tom and Rob on the steps of Plaza de Espana

In this blog we'll show you an amazing highlight in the City of Seville called the "Plaza de Espana" or the Plaza of Spain. This blog will provide some history and show you the layout and the structure. The next blog will feature amazing tile work.

Tom and Gary

WHAT IS IT? The Plaza de España is a plaza in the Parque de María Luisa, in Seville, Spain, built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929

WHERE IS IT? Av de Isabel la Católica, 41004 Sevilla, Spain

TYPES OF ARCHITECTURE HIGHLIGHTED: It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture.

Plaza de Espana

WHY WAS IT BUILT? The Plaza de España, designed by Aníbal González, was a principal building built on the Maria Luisa Park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits.

Plaza from the west side

THE DESIGN OF THE PLAZA DE ESPANA - González combined a mix of 1920s Art Deco and Spanish Renaissance Revival, Spanish Baroque Revival and Neo-Mudéjar styles. The Plaza de España complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around the edge accessible over the moat by numerous bridges representing the four ancient kingdoms of Spain. In the center is the Vicente Traver fountain. By the walls of the Plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain.

Schematic for the Plaza

WHAT'S THERE NOW? Today the Plaza de España mainly consists of Government buildings. The central government departments, with sensitive adaptive redesign, are located within it. The Plaza's tiled Alcoves of the Provinces are backdrops for visitors portrait photographs, taken in their own home province's alcove. Towards the end of the park, the grandest mansions from the fair have been adapted as museums. The farthest contains the city's archaeology collections. The main exhibits are Roman mosaics and artifacts from Italy.

Columns focusing on a fountain 

Wide view of the Plaza

Gary and Tom

From the plaza's water feature

View from Water Feature

Gary

NEXT: A CLOSEUP OF THE TILEWORK AND REGIONS OF SPAIN