Famed for his motto “less is more,”
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
(1886–1969) was one of the
founding fathers of modern architecture
and a
hotly-debated tastemaker
of twentieth-century aesthetics and urban experience.
Mies van der Rohe’s philosophy was one of
underlying truth in pure forms and proportions
. With the help of contemporary technological and material developments, he sought a stripped-down purity to architecture, showcased by the likes of the
Seagram Building
and
Farnsworth House
. Some spoke out against this stark approach as the precursor to bland, generic cityscapes. Others cite Mies van der Rohe as the ultimate master of an
abidingly elegant essence
.
This book presents more than 20 of Mies van der Rohe’s projects from the period 1906–1967 to introduce his groundbreaking practise and influence in both America and Europe.