“The long path from material through purpose to creative work has only a single goal: to create order out of the desperate confusion of our time”
-Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Simply known as Mies, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was one of the prominent forces behind modern architecture. Mies was raised by a master stonemason in Germany, and pursued architecture and design for most of his 83 years.
Mies’ works are characterized by glass and steel exteriors, with intentionally minimalist structures. He strongly held “less is more,” believing complicated and cluttered classical styles of architecture were irrelevant in modern times.
In 1956, Mies said in an interview, “I think if somebody takes his work seriously, even if he’s relatively young, he will be influenced by other people. You just cannot help that. This is a fact. I was influenced by old buildings…mostly very simple buildings. When I was really young I was impressed by the strength of these old buildings, because they didn’t belong to any epoch. They were there for thousands of years, still there, still impressive and nothing could change it.” Mies was known for his desire to create timeless, simple, and eternal structures.
The Illinois Institute of Technology created the Mies Society to maintain his works and educate students about the life of their school’s legendary architect.
Coco Architectural Grilles Metalcraft is dedicated to recognizing the architects who have paved the way for the future of great architecture. In our 2015 "Great Architects Series", we will highlight the most influential architects of our time, including their works and character. Enjoy!
Read about other Great Architects: Louis Sullivan and Antoni Gaudi
