Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: a giant of modern architecture

wp:paragraph How to sum up in a few lines the impressive career of a giant of modern architecture in the 20th century? For 6 decades, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect who became a naturalised American, never ceased to imagine, design and build buildings of incredible allure, in tune with the industrial and technological advances of the times. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century architecture in Europe and the United States. I'd like to start by looking at the key dates in his career, before looking back at his most influential architectural projects. How to sum up in a few lines the impressive career of a giant of modern twentieth-century architecture? For 6 decades, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German architect who became a naturalised American, never ceased to imagine, design and build buildings of incredible allure, in tune with the industrial and technological advances of the times. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century architecture in Europe and the United States. I'd like to start by looking at the key dates in his career, before looking back at his most influential architectural projects. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17770, "width":833, "height":414, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Ludwig Mies van der Rohe circa 1952. Photograph by Harry Callahan © PHILLIPS Ludwig Mies van der Rohe circa 1952. Photograph by Harry Callahan © PHILLIPS /wp:image wp:paragraph Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1967) was born in 1886 in Aachen (Germany). The son of a stonemason, he worked in the family business. He soon began designing for architectural firms, including that of Peter Behrens (1908-1912), a pioneer of industrial design in Germany. In 1912, he set up his own architectural practice. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1967) was born in 1886 in Aachen (Germany). The son of a stonemason, he worked in the family business. He soon began designing for architectural firms, including that of Peter Behrens (1908-1912), a pioneer of industrial design in Germany. In 1912, he set up his own architectural practice. /wp:paragraph wp:paragraph At Behrens, Mies van der Rohe met Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, two major figures who were renewing the traditional conception of architecture. At the time, Germany was the epicentre of a new architectural culture, and its architects, theorists and thinkers were part of the Deutscher Werkbund, the largest German cultural organisation in the pre-war period. Mies van der Rohe was one of its members, along with a new generation of German architects (including Gropius and Bruno Taut). At Behrens, Mies van der Rohe met Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, 2 major figures who were renewing the traditional conception of architecture. At the time, Germany was the epicentre of a new architectural culture, and its architects, theorists and thinkers were part of the Deutscher Werkbund, the largest German cultural organisation in the pre-war period. Mies van der Rohe joined it along with a new generation of German architects (Gropius, Bruno Taut, among others). /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17753, "width":817, "height":325, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Peter Behrens was commissioned by the German industrialist AEG to build a new factory (1908-1909). An avant-garde project at the time, Behrens used a steel and cement structure. The facades of the factory were covered in brick. A major innovation was the use of vast expanses of glass. Mies van der Rohe worked with Behrens on this project. Index Graphik Peter Behrens was commissioned by German industrialist AEG to build a new factory (1908-1909). An avant-garde project at the time, Behrens used a steel and cement structure. The facades of the factory were covered in brick. A major innovation was the use of vast expanses of glass. Mies van der Rohe worked with Behrens on this project. Index Graphik /wp:image wp:paragraph In the vanguard of the architectural revival theorised and taught at the Bauhaus School, which was itself influenced by radical movements (De Stijl, Russian Constructivism), Mies van der Rohe laid the foundations of his architectural style in the 1920s with 5 projects that were never built, but whose radicalism left its mark on the period. He put his ideas into practice with the German pavilion at the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. The work had a worldwide impact and Mies became the leader of the modernist movement. In the vanguard of the architectural revival theorised and taught at the Bauhaus School, which was itself influenced by radical movements (De Stijl, Russian Constructivism), Mies van der Rohe laid the foundations of his architectural style in the 1920s by imagining 5 projects that were never built, but whose radicalism left its mark on the period. He put his ideas into practice with the German pavilion at the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. The work had a worldwide impact and Mies became the leader of the modernist movement. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"id":17754, "width":797, "height":360, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} : In 1921-1922, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed a glass skyscraper on Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. A break with traditional architecture that prefigured the international style of the 30 glorious years. © 2017. The Museum of Modern Art, New York © 2017. The Museum of Modern Art, New York /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17755, "width":393, "height":656, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} The glass skyscraper on Friedrichstrasse, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Berlin, 1922. Totally unusual architecture for the time: 3 angular towers are built on a central island. Fonds L'Architecture vivante. Fonds L'Architecture vivante. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17771, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} Project for a small brick house, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1923. Mies van der Rohe designed a single-family dwelling with flat architecture and open, interlocking spaces. The ground plan was directly inspired by the pictorial works of Theo van Doesburg - theorist of the De Stijl movement - and El Lissitzky's "Prounen Raum" . © cgrchitect /wp:image wp:image {"id":17756, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} Weissenhof residential complex, collective housing, Stuttgart district, architecture and design: Mies van der Rohe. The architect used a steel skeleton for the first time. This building was part of an exhibition on collective housing, directed by Mies and bringing together the European avant-garde (Walter Gropius, Hans Scharoun, Bruno and Max Taut, Victor Bourgeois, J.J.P. Oud, Le Corbusier). © Modernism /wp:image wp:paragraph From 1930 to 1933, Mies van der Rohe directed the Bauhaus art school, first in Dessau and then in Berlin. When the Nazi party came to power, the school closed and the architect emigrated to the United States, where he enjoyed an impressive second half of his career. Until his death in 1967, Mies van der Rohe signed a series of projects that redefined American urban architecture. He imagined and designed large steel and glass buildings, the flowering of modern architecture, now assimilated into the international style. From 1930 to 1933, Mies van der Rohe directed the Bauhaus art school, first in Dessau and then in Berlin. When the Nazi party came to power, the school closed and the architect emigrated to the United States, where he enjoyed an impressive second half of his career. Until his death in 1967, Mies van der Rohe signed a series of projects that redefined American urban architecture. He imagined and designed great buildings of steel and glass, the flowering of modern architecture now assimilated into the international style. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17757, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Seagram Building, architect: Mies van der Rohe, New York, 1958. This steel and glass skyscraper designed with architect Philip Johnson reaches a height of 160 metres. The building became an architectural benchmark for buildings in American megacities. © Well Planned Architecture /wp:image wp:paragraph Over a career spanning some sixty years, I have selected 3 works that are representative of the architectural modernity inspired by Mies van der Rohe. The 1st is the German pavilion for the Barcelona Universal Exhibition. It puts 2 concepts into practice. Firstly, the free plan: the walls are no longer load-bearing, but become partitions delimiting a space that is now "open" to all sorts of configurations. Secondly, the fluidity of space: glass façades allow the interior and exterior to interpenetrate and merge. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed a totally transparent building in which the visitor passes from urban space to nature with great ease, transcended by the harmony of the site. Over a career spanning some sixty years, I have selected 3 works that are representative of the architectural modernity inspired by Mies van der Rohe. The 1st is the German pavilion for the Barcelona Universal Exhibition. It puts 2 concepts into practice. Firstly, the free plan: the walls are no longer load-bearing, but become partitions delimiting a space that is now "open" to all sorts of configurations. Secondly, the fluidity of space: glass façades allow the interior and exterior to interpenetrate and merge. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed a totally transparent building in which the visitor passes from urban space to nature with great ease, transcended by the harmony of the surroundings. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"id":17758, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} View of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, architecture: Mies van der Rohe, 1929. A simple structure to create an impression of lightness: 8 cruciform steel columns support a flat roof, large bay windows and a few floor-to-ceiling partitions. © wikipedia /wp:image wp:image {"id":17759, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} View of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, architecture: Mies van der Rohe, 1929. Photo ⓒ Wojtek Gurak View of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, architecture: Mies van der Rohe, 1929. Photo ⓒ Wojtek Gurak /wp:image wp:image {"id":17760, "width":841, "height":561, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} View of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, architecture: Mies van der Rohe, 1929. ⓒ Wojtek Gurak. View of the German Pavilion in Barcelona, architecture: Mies van der Rohe, 1929. ⓒ Wojtek Gurak. /wp:image wp:paragraph The flat roof of the structure contributes to the purity of lines that make the building a jewel of modern architecture. Destroyed after the exhibition, the building was so successful that Catalan architects rebuilt it (1983-1988). For the interior, the architect used luxurious materials such as marble, travertine and onyx. Together with his partner and collaborator Lilly Reich, they designed the elegant Barcelona armchair, which has become a must-have of twentieth-century design. Its X-shaped polished chrome-plated steel base is reminiscent of a curule seat from ancient Rome. With the German pavilion, Mies van der Rohe achieved a modern architectural ideal: perfect symmetry, diaphanous, open spaces and de rigueur minimalism. The flat roof of the structure contributes to the purity of lines that make the building a jewel of modern architecture. Destroyed after the exhibition, the building was so successful that Catalan architects rebuilt it (1983-1988). For the interior, the architect used luxurious materials such as marble, travertine and onyx. Together with his partner and collaborator Lilly Reich, they designed the elegant Barcelona armchair, which has become a must-have of twentieth-century design. Its X-shaped polished chrome-plated steel base is reminiscent of a curule seat from ancient Rome. With the German pavilion, Mies van der Rohe achieved a modern architectural ideal: perfect symmetry, diaphanous, open spaces and de rigueur minimalism. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17761, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} The Barcelona armchairs in the German pavilion. Designed by Mies van der Roh and Lilly Reich. © Art Design /wp:image wp:image {"id":17762, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Pair of Barcelona armchairs, Model MR90, design: Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1929. The American company Knoll holds the licence. © Art Design /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17763, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} Brno chair, model MR50, design by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, 1930. The Brno cantilever chair was designed for the Villa Tugendhat, completed in 1930 and located in Brno, Czechoslovakia. © Du Grand Art /wp:image wp:paragraph The second building I have selected projects Mies into the post-war vertical architecture of skyscrapers. In 1948, on behalf of property developer Herbert Greenwald, he designed Towers 860 and 800, 2 steel and glass apartment buildings on the north side of Lake Shore Drive, the motorway running along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. The towers are the symbol of the architect's minimalist approach: they are covered with curtain walls, one of the architect's trademarks, and above all are devoid of any ornamentation. These 2 towers embodied the international post-war style for years to come. The second building that I have selected projects Mies into the vertical architecture of post-war skyscrapers. In 1948, on behalf of property developer Herbert Greenwald, he designed Towers 860 and 800, 2 steel and glass apartment buildings on the north side of Lake Shore Drive, the motorway running along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. The towers are the symbol of the architect's minimalist approach: they are covered with curtain walls, one of the architect's trademarks, and above all are devoid of any ornamentation. These 2 towers embodied the international post-war style for years to come. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":17764, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} Lake Shore Drive residential towers, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The 26-storey, 82-metre-high towers were built between 1949 and 1951 © © Modernism /wp:image wp:paragraph 3rd remarkable project: the design of the Neue Nationalgalerie ("New National Gallery") in Berlin. Mies van der Roh was commissioned in 1962 to design a building to house the collections of 20th-century modern art. Completed in 1968, after the architect's death, the building embodies his long-term concern to create fluid, open spaces. Mies designed a veritable glass temple of 2,300 m2 that is surprisingly empty. It is topped by a large black steel coffered roof that overhangs it. As with many of the architect's projects, the entire structure rests on 8 pylons. The basement houses the exhibition rooms and offices. On the west side, a large glazed wall once again serves a mineral garden. The 3rd remarkable project was the design of the Neue Nationalgalerie ("New National Gallery") in Berlin. Mies van der Roh was commissioned in 1962 to design a building to house the collections of 20th-century modern art. Completed in 1968, after the architect's death, the building embodies his long-term concern to create fluid, open spaces. Mies designed a veritable glass temple of 2,300 m2 that is surprisingly empty. It is topped by a large black steel coffered roof that overhangs it. As with many of the architect's projects, the entire structure rests on 8 pylons. The basement houses the exhibition rooms and offices. On the west side, a large glass wall again serves a mineral garden. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"id":17765, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968. The plan was inspired by the Bacardi headquarters in Cuba, which Mies never built © SMB / Reinhard Friedrich Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968. The plan was inspired by the Bacardi headquarters in Cuba, which Mies never built © SMB / Reinhard Friedrich /wp:image wp:image {"align": "centre", "id":17766, "sizeSlug": "full", "linkDestination": "none"} Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968. The base of the building housing the collections is clad in granite © Wolfquenterthiel blogspot /wp:image wp:image {"id":17767, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968, model. Atlas of Places /wp:image wp:image {"id":17768, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} caption: Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968, interior view. Atlas of Places /wp:image wp:image {"id":17769, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "none"} Neue Nationalgalerie, architect: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1962-1968, view of the interior. Atlas of Places /wp:image wp:paragraph The radical beauty of the building, its minimalism and the impression of lightness that emanates from it have made the Neue Nationalgalerie one of the great masterpieces of modern architecture. One of the giants of twentieth-century architecture, along with Gropius and Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used to say that his architecture was "skin and bones", the skin being glass and the bones the steel structure. He coined the expression "Less is More", not to signify that simplicity was the best, but to designate the pursuit of a certain perfection, stripped of all superfluity, which is anything but simple! The radical beauty of the building, its minimalism and the impression of lightness that emanates from it have made the Neue National Galerie one of the great masterpieces of modern architecture. One of the giants of twentieth-century architecture, along with Gropius and Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe used to say that his architecture was "skin and bones", the skin being glass and the bones the steel structure. He coined the expression "Less is More", not to signify that simplicity was the best, but to designate the pursuit of a certain perfection, stripped of all superfluity, which is anything but simple! /wp:paragraph wp:paragraph {"align": "right"} François BOUTARD François BOUTARD /wp:paragraph

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: a giant of modern architecture

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