"Less is More" with Mies van der Rohe
20 Gorgeous Mid-Century Modern Home Listings Across the Country
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies). It’s quite the name, for the man who famously preached that “less is more.” Mies (for short), a legendary architect and designer, was born in Aachen, Germany in 1886. His father, a master mason, brought his son to build sites from a young age. At 15, Mies began to apprentice for several local artisans and architects, developing a lifelong skill for linear drawings.
At 19, Mies set out for the big city; Berlin. He found employment with Bruno Paul, a prominent furniture designer and part of the Art Nouveau movement. At age 21, Mies received his first architectural commission, building a suburban house on the outskirts of Berlin. The project proved consequential as his work was recognized by Berlin architect Peter Behrens, who offered him a role at his firm. While in Germany, Mies became a member of two groups at the forefront of modernism, Deutscher Werkbund and Bauhaus. He built a highly successful career in Berlin, designing residential & commercial buildings, interiors, exhibition spaces, and furniture. When the Nazis rose to power, Mies left Germany and immigrated to the U.S., settling in Chicago in 1938. Mies built a new practice and became the Director of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Mies’ minimalist ethos is obvious across all of his work, from chairs to skyscrapers. Common elements include simple rectangular forms, open and multi-functional spaces, and bold glass and steels construction. Every line is deliberate and structure and order prevail. Speaking on the idea of order, Mies said “architecture has the power to create order out of unholy confusion.” The longevity of Mies’ work, including the Barcelona chair, the Farnsworth House, and his Chicago skyscrapers are a testament to the power of simplicity.
GEMS FOR SALE THIS WEEK
3947 Markridge Rd, La Crescenta, CA 91214
3525 El Lado Dr, Glendale, CA 91208
7209 E Killdee St, Long Beach, CA 90808
7227 E Mezzanine Way, Long Beach, CA 90808
32416 Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
4124 N 63rd Pl, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
4411 N 40th St APT 51, Phoenix, AZ 85018
445 E North Hills Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
1841 North 1400 East, Provo, UT 84604
690 E 16th Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
1256 E Chandler Cir N, Salt Lake City, UT 84103
1097 S Bonneville Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
1616 E Gentile St, Layton, UT 84040
5297 S Crocker Street, Littleton, CO 80120
816 N Fair Cir, Palm Springs, CA 92262
24 Brookstone Dr, Princeton, NJ 08540
60 Mill Pond Rd, Montgomery Twp., NJ 08502-5401
920 Wallwood Dr, Akron, OH 44321
143 Saint Andrew St N, Saint Marys, ON N4X 1C5
When I was in Detroit in the summer, I made a point of going to the Lafayette Park development. It was impressive how well Mies’ work has stood up as a form of elegance. The lushness of the townhouses at Lafayette were a sharp contrast from the surroundings, and made me feel like I’d been transported to Vancouver for a second. With the renaissance underway for Motor City, I found it funny seeing the various infill developments kind of aping the Mies aesthetic at times, all these decades later, and yet still feeling like a lesser version of what he did.