Mies van der Rohe

In the fifth posting on the theme of architect/designer I am looking at the work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies (1886 – 1969). A German-American architect, he was commonly referred to and addressed by his surname Mies.
Mies van der Rohe, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of Modern architecture. Mies, like many of his post World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces. He strived towards an architecture with a minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space.
Villa Tugendhat is considered a masterpiece built between the years 1928-1930 in Brno, in today's Czech Republic, for Fritz Tugendhat and his wife Greta, the villa soon became an icon of modern architecture.

Villa Tugendhat

The Barcelona Pavilion was the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. This building was used for the official opening of the German section of the exhibition. It was an important building in the history of modern architecture, known for its simple form and extravagant materials, such as marble and travertine.

The Barcelona Pavilion

Some of Mies van der Rohe's most iconic furniture designs, particularly chairs, were designed for the Barcelona Pavilion.

The Barcelona chair was designed in collaboration between Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

and his partner and companion Lilly Reich in 1929 for the German Pavilion

at the Barcelona International Exhibition

Barcelona Couch

He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture, which became because of its technological content of essential importance for the further development in respect of what is called High-tech architecture today. He sought a rational approach that would guide the creative process of architectural design, and is known for his use of the aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".
Mies van der Rohe built some beautiful modernist buildings and I want to come back to those in a more specific posting.