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Mies Van Der Rohe

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Mies Van Der Rohe

German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is recognized along with Le Corbusier and Walter
Gropius as the founding fathers of modern design in furniture and architecture. He has produced
some of the most iconic modern furniture designs of all time.

Pioneer of Modern Furniture Design: Mies van der Rohe 


During a conversation about modern furniture design, one
of the names that will surely be mentioned is that of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. A pioneer of the
modern design movement of the early 20th century, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created some of
the earliest modern furniture designs. Today his designs for home furniture remain high popular
amongst collectors and enthusiasts and serve as inspiration for other modern designers.

Mies van der Rohe, or Mies as he was often called by his colleagues, was originally an architect
by profession. A student of the famed architect Peter Behrens, Mies created a new and influential
style in architecture, which emphasized extreme clarity and simplicity over traditionalism and
lavish ornaments. His architectural designs were also noted for their heavy use of industrial
materials such as steel and glass, and that each and every component was as functional as
possible. Today several of the buildings he designed, including the Lafayette Park in Detroit and
the German Pavilion in Barcelona, still exist today and are considered as cultural landmarks.

Mies van der Rohe began designing furniture mainly to complement the interiors of his building
projects. Much like his modernist architectural designs, Mies' furniture creations were relatively
simple and highly functional. However, his furniture designs also incorporated both old and new
materials like rich leather and stainless steel, often blending them into one harmonious
construction. In addition, several of Mies' furniture designs, such as the "Brno" chair for
example, were fitted with cantilevers to achieve the feeling of lightness.

Although Mies van der Rohe passed away more than 40 years ago, he still remains an influential
figure in the field of furniture design. Today, Mies van der Rohe's designs are widely available as
reproductions from various manufacturers, notably from the Knoll furniture company in the US.

Pioneer of Modern Design: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 


Maria Ludwig Mies (1886-1969), who is better known as
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is an architect, designer, and pioneer of the Modern movement in
the early 20th century. Like his famous contemporaries Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, Mies
pioneered modern design in both architecture and furniture design and remains an influential
benchmark for modern-day designers. He is also credited for one of the last leaders of the
Bauhaus movement and for his now-famous quote "less is more".

The son of a stone-cutter, Mies van der Rohe had no formal college education in design. He
worked for several design firms in his youth and in 1908 was apprenticed to famed German
architect Peter Behrens. It was at Behrens that Mies became acquainted with the many theories
on design and may have met with Gropius and Le Corbuiser, who were also working for Behrens
at that time. Mies finished his apprenticeship in 1912, and briefly worked at the German
Embassy in Saint Petersburg before setting up his own independent career as an architect.

Although he began with designing traditional German homes for the upper-class, Mies van der
Rohe eventually shifted to the style of modernism. Like most designers after World War I, Mies
wanted to create a new "modern" architectural style to represent the post-war era in same way
Gothic and Classical architecture did for their own time. His designs for architecture were
characterized for their extreme clarity and simplicity, and made heavy use of glass, steel and
other industrial age materials. Some examples of buildings which Mies van der Rohe designed
include the IBM Plaza in Chicago and the now-famous German Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain.

To make his buildings complete, Mies van der Rohe also designed furnishings to complement
the interiors of his structures. Mies would often collaborate with his longtime companion, the
German interior designer Lilly Reich, to produce furniture designs such as the Barcelona Chair
and the Tugendhat Chair. And much like his architectural designs, Mies' furniture creations were
strikingly modern and minimalist in construction. His designs were also noted for blending
traditional and modern materials together like chrome-plated steel and leather.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: Pioneer of 20th Century
Modern Design 

Born Maria Ludwig Mies on March 27, 1886 in Aachen,


Germany, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is an architect, designer, and professor of modern design.
Often called simply as "Mies " by his friends, students, and colleagues, Mies van der Rohe is
credited along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier for being one of the major pioneers of
Modern architecture in the 20th century. He was also noted for several furniture designs he made
to match his modern architectural designs, as well as for his aphorisms "God is in the details"
and "less is more".

The son of a stonecutter, Mies Van der Rohe had no formal education in design but nevertheless
made up for it with sheer talent and ingenuity. An apprentice of the famous German architect
Peter Behrens, Mies van der Rohe sought to create a new architectural style which would
represent the modern era in the same manner Classical and Gothic design did for their time. Mies
eventually helped establish the modern architectural style, which is defined for its clarity,
simplicity, its use of industrial materials and the complete lack of ornaments. His work spanned
America to Europe, with some buildings like the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in
Washington D.C. The New National Gallery in Berlin can still be seen to this day.

Aside from his work in architecture, Mies van der Rohe also designed furnishings to complement
the interiors of the buildings he designed. His Barcelona chair design for the German Pavilion,
for example, was made as simple as possible to complement the free-flowing spaces of the
Pavilion's interior and exterior areas. Mies van der Rohe also frequently made use of both
traditional and modern materials such as fabric and chrome-plated steel in his furnishings, and
often employed cantilevers to give the appearance of lightness.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: A Brief Biography of the


Pioneer of Modern Design 
Born on March 27, 1886 in Aachen, Germany, Ludwig
Mies van der Rohe is a German-American architect, designer and pioneer of the 20th century
modern movement. He is largely known for his "skin and bones" architecture and for the several
modern furniture designs he made for his structures.

The son of a stone-cutter, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had no formal education and was worked
in several local design firms in his youth. In 1908 van der rohe moved to the city of Berlin and
was apprenticed to the celebrated architect Peter Behrens. During his apprenticeship, van der
Rohe learned the various design theories of the time and met fellow modernist pioneers Walter
Gropius and Le Corbusier. After completing his apprenticeship Mies van der Rohe worked
briefly as a construction manager before establishing his professional practice as an architect.
Several of the buildings he designed, like the New National Gallery in Berlin and the Martin
Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, are still standing to this day.

In addition to his work as an architect, Mies van der Rohe also made several furniture designs to
complement his architectural projects. His designs, such as the Barcelona Chair of the German
Pavilion in Barcelona and the Brno Chair of the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic, are
noted for incorporated the sleek, functional qualities of modernism and its synthesis of traditional
and modern elements. Van der Rohe was also said to have collaborated heavily with his longtime
companion, the designer Lilly Reich, while making his designs.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died on August 17, 1969 and is buried at the Chicago Graceland
Cemetery in Illinois, USA. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest architects of the
modern age. His furniture designs are also highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts and
are being made as reproductions by several manufacturers.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: 20th Century's Greatest


Architect and Furniture Designer 
The 20th century has been host to several leaders in the field of
modern design, but only a handful would ever be given the title of being greatest. Among the
people who would definitely be in this category is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Regarded by
many as one of the most influential designers of all time, the German designer and architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe pioneered the Modern design movement of the early 20th century
and produced some of the world's most popular modern furniture designs.

Born on March 27, 1886 in the old German city of Aachen, Mies van der Rohe was an architect
by trade and created furniture designs specifically to furnish the interiors of his architectural
projects. Two of the most famous examples of these include the Barcelona Chair for the German
Pavilion exhibition building in Barcelona, Spain and the Brno and Tugendhat Chairs for the Villa
Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. As a modernist architect, Mies van der Rohe frequently
incorporated the functional, minimalist qualities of modern architecture into his furniture designs
as well as basing them upon traditional and modern elements. Mies van der Rohe was also said
to have collaborated heavily with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich, in the
creation of his designs.

Aside from his professional career as an architect and designer, Mies van der Rohe also became
at the director of the Dessau branch of the famed Bauhaus design school in 1930. With the
recommendation of Bauhaus' founder Walter Gropius, van der Rohe eventually helmed the
Bahaus up to its transfer to Berlin in 1933 to its subsequent closure by the Nazis at the same
year. Frustrated by the loss of Bauhaus, Mies van der Rohe moved to Chicago and continued his
teaching architectural career there until his death in 1969.

The Influential German Designer Ludwig Mies van der


Rohe 
The nation of Germany is host some of the greatest movers
and shakers in the field of arts and design, but when it comes down to furniture design no other
name is more prominent than that of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. One of the greatest German
designers of all time, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is credited as a pioneer of the Modern design
movement in architecture and furniture design.

An architect by trade, Mies van der Rohe originally made his furniture designs to complement
his various architectural projects around the world. Two famous examples of this include the
famous "Barcelona" Chair for the German Pavilion in Barcelona Spain and the cantilevered
"Brno" Chair for the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. And much like his architectural
creations, van der Rohe's furniture designs were distinctly modernist with light, balanced
structures and an overall lack of lavish decorative elements. Van der Rohe was also said to have
collaborated with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich, in the creation of most if not
all of his designs.

In addition to his contributions to the field of furniture and architecture, Mies van der Rohe also
taught at the prestigious Bauhaus school of design. At the request of his colleague and Bahaus
founder Walter Gropius van der Rohe replaced Hannes Meyer as director of Dessau branch of
the Bauhaus in 1930, and was later followed with a membership at Prussian Academy of Arts
and Sciences. However, van der Rohe's stay at the Bauhaus was short-lived, as the Nazi regime
forced the Bauhaus to relocate to Berlin in 1933 and was closed at the same year.

Frustrated with the loss of the Bauhaus, Mies van der Rohe immigrated to the United States in
1937 and continued his teaching and architectural practice there until his death in 1969. Today,
he remains as one of history's most influential designers and his furniture designs considered as
classic examples of modernist furniture.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: The Great Pioneer of Modern


Design 
The 20th century gave birth to some of the greatest
designers of modern furniture, but only a very few could be as important as that of the German
designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Recognized along with Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius
as the founding fathers of modern design in furniture and architecture, van der Rohe produced
some of the most iconic modern furniture designs of all time.

As with most of his contemporaries during that period, Mies van der Rohe was an architect by
trade. In fact, van der Rohe wanted to create a new architectural style that would be
representative of the modern times which later resulted to his contribution to the creation of the
modern architectural style. Also, in a stark contrast with traditional building design van der Rohe
built his buildings using modern materials like industrial and plate glass as well providing them
with a minimal framework balanced with free-flowing open space. Today several of van der
Rohe's architectural creations, such as the IBM Plaza, Seagram Building and the 860-880 Lake
Shore Drive Apartments in New York, are still standing to this day.

Originally, Mies van der Rohe made his furniture exclusively for use in the interiors of his
architectural projects. Several examples of which include the Barcelona Chair for the German
Pavilion and the Brno and Tugendhat Chairs for the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. In
the same manner as his architectural creations, van der Rohe's furniture designs were made using
new industrial technologies. His designs were also noted for their mix of traditional and modern
materials such as leather and chrome-plated frames, the clear separation between the supporting
structure and its surfaces, and the feeling of lightness that is often achieved with the use of
cantilevers. It was also during this period that van der Rohe collaborated heavily with his
longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich.

Mies van der Rohe: The Architect who Pioneered Modern


Furniture Design 
The 20th century has seen its share of furniture designs in its
100-year duration, but they would probably all pale in comparison to the influence and
contributions German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has made for the field of furniture
design. Credited along Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius as the early pioneers of the modern
design movement, van der Rohe has produced some of the modern age's most recognizable
designs for chairs, tables and other furnishings for the home.

As with most of his contemporaries during the early 1900s, Mies van der Rohe was originally
trained as an architect. Born on March 27, 1886 at the German city of Aachen, van der Rohe
started out as an apprentice for architect Peter Behrens in Berlin. The young van der Rohe
worked at Behren's office from 1908 to 1912, and it was during this period that he was exposed
to the current design theories of the time. After his apprenticeship was completed, van der Rohe
worked briefly as a construction manage before establishing himself as a professional architect
specializing on high-end residences. Today some of his creations, such as the Tugendhat House
and the German Pavilion for example, still stand to this day.

With his career as an architect firmly established, Mies van der Rohe also sought out to expand
his creative ideas into furniture design. His designs are often made for the purpose of furnishing
his architectural projects, and heavily relied on his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich
during the design process. And much like the structures that he made, his designs are synthesis of
both modern and traditional inspirations, light structures usually achieved through the use of
cantilevers, and the lack of lavish decorative elements.

Mies van der Rohe: Genius of the Bahaus 


Since its establishment in 1919 by famed architect Walter
Gropius, the Bahaus school of Germany has been the home of many influential furniture
designers of the 20th century. One such designer was Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Placed along
with Le Corbusier and Gropius as one of the early proponents of the modern design movement,
van der Rohe is regarded as a classic icon of modern furniture design.

Born on the 27th of March, 1886 in the German city of Aachen , Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
began his career working in his father's stone-carving business and later in the office of interior
designer Bruno Paul. Then in 1908 van der Rohe was accepted as a student-apprentice of Peter
Behrens, a renowned architect and designer, and began working in his studio. After his
apprenticeship was completed, Behrens took van der Rohe to Saint Petersburg and had him
employed as construction at the German embassy. There his talents were recognized, and van der
Rohe soon began making independent commissions along with his work in the embassy. It was
not long after that van der Rohe, a deliberative and reticent man, decided to make his designs full
time, paving the way for his illustrious career in architecture and furniture design.

With the insistence of Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe joined the the Bahaus school in 1930
as one of the school's directors. During his administration, van der Rohe transformed the school
into a privately owned institution and adopted the schools signature style of functional geometric
shapes. However, van der Rohe's stay at the Bahaus was short-lived, as the school was closed in
1933 due to pressure from the government, which was led the Nazi Party at that time, due to the
supposed Jewish influences of the school's so-called "cosmopolitan modernism". Frustrated, van
der Rohe left Germany shortly after the closure of Bahaus and moved to Chicago, Illinois and
stayed there until his death in August 17, 1969.

One notable piece of furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe is the stainless steel Brno Chair.
Designed in the years 1929 to 1930, the Brno Chair or MR50 is a cantilever chair based in the
earlier MR20 chair design by van der Rohe. The chair was part of the interior furnishings of the
famed Villa Tugendhat which van der Rohe also designed in the city of Brno, Czech Republic.
The chair's most distinctive feature is its polished steel frame, which was shaped into a crescent
from the back of the chair to the underside, which that enabled the structure to have a light yet
sturdy cantilever structure. Today the Brno is recognized as a classic modernist design and was
selected as one of the 80 man-made treasures of the world by the British Broadcasting
Corporation or BBC in 2005.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: A Life of Modern Design 


If one were asked to make a list of all the great furniture
designers of the 20th century, then that person would have to spend the whole day compiling
them. But if the list should be narrowed to the best designers, then the list would be drastically
reduced to a handful. But whatever the case may be, one of the people that will be on the list
would be Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Born on March 27, 1886 at the German city of Aachen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (whose real
name is Maria Ludwig Mies) started his early life working in his father's stone-carving shop and
at the office of designer Bruno Paul. Then in 1908 van der Rohe worked as an apprentice at the
studio of the celebrated architect Peter Behrens and stayed there until 1912. It was in his stay at
Behren's studio that van der Rohe was said to have been exposed to the current design theories of
the day as well as worked with Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, who were also working at
Behren's studio at the time. After completing his apprenticeship, van der Rohe was hired as a
construction manager at the Embassy of the German Empire at Saint Petersburg under the
guidance and supervision of Behrens. There van der Rohe's talents were recognized and began
working independent commissions on architectural designs. It was also at this point that Mies
adopted the surname "van der Rohe".

Like most of his contemporaries before him, Mies van der Rohe was initially an architect who
later used the skills, knowledge and experience he acquired in building structures to build chairs,
tables and other furnishings. Today Mies van der Rohe is credited to be one of the founding
fathers of modern furniture design, creating furnishings that were finely crafted and a synthesis
of modern and traditional materials. His most popular work was that of the Barcelona Chair, a
steel-and-leather chair van der Rohe designed in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition at
Barcelona, Spain. Inspired by classical folding and campaign chairs, the Barcelona featured a
light, rigid frame of stainless steel topped by a pair of large, soft leather cushions.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died on August 17, 1969, but his legacy still lives on through his
iconic furniture designs. Nowadays van der Rohe is placed along Le Corbusier and Gropius as
one of the founding fathers of the modern design movement, and his works a staple in art
museums around the world.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: A Short Biography 


When it comes to architecture in the 20th century, nothing
else would ring a bell than that of the modern style. Born in sunrise years of the 1900s, the
modern style has dominated the world of architecture, shaping the homes, offices, and buildings
made with beautiful mixture of minimalism and glass, concrete and steel. However, the modern
style is just not exclusive to architecture, as it can be found in the medium of furniture. In fact,
the founding fathers of modern architecture are the same ones that pioneered modern furniture
design. One of the people that helped gave birth to these two artistic movements is the renowned
furniture designer and architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

If you are looking for both a well-respected architect and designer of furniture, you do not need
to look further than the man that is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Along with his fellow designers
and architects Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, van der Rohe paved the way for the modern
architecture style which later crossed over in his designs for furniture. His works, along with that
of Gropius and Corbusier, were the dominant designs of the early to the mid-20th century and
influencing other designs for furnishings in the future.

Born on March 27, 1886, Mies van der Rohe (whose real name is Maria Ludwig Mies) started
out his life simply as a son of a stonecarver in Aachen, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany.
Unable to consign himself to taking over the family business, van der Rohe moved to the city of
Berlin to work for Bruno Paul, a famous interior designer. Shortly after that he moved to the
office of the architect Peter Behrens to serve as an apprentice, and it is there that Ludwig was
exposed to the various cultures and design theories of his day. It is also this time that van der
Rohe might have also met and exchanged views with his contemporaries Le Corbusier and
Walter Gropius, as they were also working with Behrens during that period. Finally, in 1912
Mies van der Rohe left his apprenticeship and, under the guidance of Behrens, was hired at the
German Embassy in Russia. There his talent was immediately recognized, and was shortly doing
commissions of his own to various clients.

One of van der Rohe's signature furniture designs is the so-called Barcelona Chair. A single-seat
chair, the Barcelona chair was designed by Mies van der Rohe as part of the German pavilion
during the 1929 Ibero-American Expo in Barcelona Spain. The Barcelona was typical of the van
der Rohe design, as it eschewed decorations of any kind and was primarily constructed of leather
and chrome-plated steel.

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