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
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.
aim form problems recognize refuse work
We refuse to recognize problems of form, but only problems of building. Form is not the aim of our work, but only the result. Form, by itself, does not exist. Form as an aim is formalism; and that we reject.
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.
former latter life mere
The unformed is not worse than the over-formed. The former is nothing; the latter is mere appearance. Real form presupposes real life.
directed ends form inside towards
Form as a goal always ends in formalism. For this striving is directed not towards an inside, but towards an outside. But only a living inside has a living outside.
create form means nature task time work
Create form out of the nature of the task with the means of our time. This is our work.
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.
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.
according clearly office organized pattern work
The office building is a building for work, organization, lucidity and economy. Light, spacious working rooms, clearly arranged, undivided, only organized according to the pattern of the firm.