Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohewas a German-American architect. He is commonly referred to and was addressed as Mies, his surname. Along with Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright, he is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern architecture...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionArchitect
Date of Birth27 March 1886
CountryUnited States of America
addressing art bound building execution itself knowledge means necessary spiritual tasks vital work
The building art is, in reality, always the spatial execution of spiritual decisions. It is bound to its times and manifests itself only in addressing vital tasks with the means of its times. A knowledge of the times, its tasks, and its means is the necessary precondition of work in the building art.
achieve age artistic builders content earlier effect endeavor fail form hopeless repeatedly serve strongest talent time work
It is a hopeless endeavor to make the form and content of earlier architectural epochs usable for our time; in this, even the strongest artistic talent must fail. We see repeatedly how the outstanding builders fail to achieve an effect because their work does not serve the will of the age.
art environment himself masters
The building art is man's spatial dialogue with his environment and demonstrates how he asserts himself therein and how he masters it.
almost among architecture art authentic cost problem quality question reached throughout time
The problem of architecture has always been the same throughout time. Its authentic quality is reached through its proportions, and the proportions cost nothing. In fact, most of them are proportions among things, not the things themselves. Art is almost always a question of proportions.
artistic building carrying central readily time
I see in industrialization the central problem of building in our time. If we succeed in carrying out this industrialization, the social, economic, technical, and also artistic problems will be readily solved.
art fame easier
A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous.
age aims architecture cannot chaos clearly conceived confident destined foundation impact powerful remain simple space truth until
Architecture is always the will of the age conceived as space - nothing else. Until this simple truth is clearly recognized, the struggle over the foundation of a new architecture confident in its aims and powerful in its impact cannot be realized; until then, it is destined to remain a chaos of uncoordinated forces.
consider decisive discovered evaluate form life point result shows starting whether
We do not evaluate the result but the starting point of the creative process. Precisely, this shows whether the form was discovered by starting from life, or for its own sake. That is why I consider the creative process so essential. Life for us is the decisive factor.
interested saw sullivan
In 1912, when I was working in The Hague, I first saw a drawing by Louis Sullivan of one of his buildings. It interested me.
chicago forth rarely work
I really don't know the Chicago School. You see, I never walk. I always take taxis back and forth to work. I rarely see the city.
work
Generally, I think my work has so much influence because of its reasonableness.
chance clarity creative discipline education guide lead opinion rational road students true work
Education must lead us from the irresponsible opinion to true responsible judgment. It must lead us from chance and arbitrariness to rational clarity and intellectual order. Therefore, let us guide our students over the road of discipline from materials, through function, to creative work.
actual discovered effect glass light models ordinary
I discovered by working with actual glass models that the important thing is the play of reflections and not the effect of light and shadow, as in ordinary buildings.
hence material trade
Industrialization of the building trade is a question of material. Hence the demand for a new building material is the first prerequisite.