introduction

Mies van der Rohe received little formal training and education. He learnt about stone and materials from his farther, a master mason. This and a stream of apprentices on building sites gave him the initial understanding of building from a very practical sense. Now a brick thats really something, thats really building. Not paper Architecture Taken from a speech made by Mies van der Rohe. Blake (1997). After working for some notable Architects in Germany, Mies started to work under Peter Behrens along with other young promising Architects such as Le Corbusier. At Behrens, Mies developed an interest in Neoclassicism, particular the work of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. There were three aspects of Schinkels work which were to make a big impression on Mies; The way in which he placed his buildings on a pedestal to give them certain nobility. His use of classical proportions and scale which was applicable to buildings of any period. The purity of form in some of his buildings. Miess pre-WWI Schinkelesque manner of using glass, simplification of details and fine proportions set his work apart and structure as an overriding discipline had begun to interest him more and more. Blake (1997) A notion of honesty as a design rational began to become influential to Mies and he particularly admired the Amsterdam Stock exchange designed by dutch Architect Hendrik Berlarge. His use of exposed structure and monolithic brick walls was very appealing to Mies and he began to think that architects such as Schinkel and Behrens were becoming interested in form for forms sake. In 1919 Mies entered a competition and produced a design for a tower in Friedrichstrasse, Berlin. Although the entry was deemed unacceptable due to the rules of the competition, people had never seen such expanses of glass before and his work began to attract some attention. The impact of this building became a huge revelation, it showed; simplicity, discipline, precision and single mindedness. The ideology of an endless process of purification and crystallization of an idea, until that idea becomes so disarmingly simple so obvious that is must, according to Miess beliefs represent the ultimate truth. Blake (1997) What was impressive about Mies at this stage was that he had an unprecedented understanding of the materials he was using and in turn produced designs that were formed from the rational use of these materials. In 1922 a design for a office building displaying a purist rational from, with ribbon windows was exhibited, the design made possible through his understanding of steel and glass. This design again gained him notable interest. It soon became clear to Mies that no building could be a clear statement unless its proportions and details were related, from the smallest unit to the overall form. Blake (1997). In the 1920s Mies had a considerable amount of written philosophy published, this expressed is constantly evolving views of architecture, which arguably and not completely present in his built work of this time, more so in his later work in the US. We refuse to recognise 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 by itself is formalism; and that we reject. Taken from G magazine publication in 1923. Schulze (1995).

LESS IS MORE.
the design philosophy of ludwig mies van der rohe
the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

Fig. 1.1 Mies van der Rohe, http:// texasvignettes.files.wordpress. com/2010/08/mies-van-der-rohe.jpg Roll Number: @00035241 Title of Assignment: Coursework 1 Module Name: Architectural Detailing Programme of Study: ADT Year of Study: 2010 Full Time/Part Time/Distance Taught: Part Time

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weissenhof apartments

In 1927 Mies built, an apartment building at the Weisennhof Exhibition of such perfect proportion and detail that they received international attention. This was the first time that Mies had included a steel frame in built work and referred to it as, the most appropriate system of construction. It can be produced rationally and permits every freedom for the division of spaces inside. (Zukowsky 1986). This building is not particularly consistent with Miess design philosophy of this time; however there are key details in it which can be found throughout his work. The neoclassical proportions and the idea of free plan are some of these. The use of layered construction is something which is typical of the construction methods employed by Mies during his time in Europe. This technique allows Mies to construct apparent monolithic walls with their construction being anything but. While a steel frame is used as a structural frame for the apartments, this is not expressed in its form and again this is something in which he wrote about at this time but was not employed in his buildings. Arguably however this can be justified in the quality of structural materials at the time.

Fig. 2.2 Side elevation of Weissenhof Apartment. 1. Side elevation showing a rectangle with classical golden ration of approx. 1.612. 2. Roof capping detail to hold down the horizontal building.

lange house

Fig 2.1 8mobili, Weissenhof Apartments, 2009, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/ photos/8mobili/3287844366/lightbox/

The lange house, similarly to that of the Weissenhof apartments encompasses some of Miess early design philosophies, some of which are detached from his later and more renowned work. This building was constructed 1928 and was designed almost simultaneously with the Barcalona Pa villi on. which is very difficult to believe. (Ford 1990) Miess passion for precision craftsmanship is exhibited here with the incredibly precise brick work shown in fig. 3.2. Both the horizontal and vertical joints for this building were set out in the construction drawings meaning completely uniform brick joints. Phillip Johnson also tells the storey of Mies personally selecting the facing bricks for the front and rear elevations. He chose the unburned brick for the main elevations (front and rear) and the burnt bricks would be used on the side. (Ford 1990) Fig 3.3 illustrates a window cill junction on a monolithic brick wall, while monolithic architecture was of interest to Mies in these early years, and he particularly admired the work of Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage (the Amsterdam stock exchange), his interest in this Puginesaque theory of construction had been replaced during the 1920s with that of precision craftsmanship and so he has plastered the internal face of the brick wall to conceal the joint between the brick and the window frame. The type of window in Fig 3.2 & 3.3 is a steel cased window, which illustrated his passion for modern materials and technology. He could of used the more popular traditional double wood window, which would provide better thermal characteristics, but this materials was a material of today and would allow him to have a very thin profile on the frame making the window almost invisible. This then allowed Mies to compose the building with seemingly abstract rectangles. The interior trims; the door and window casing are all a simple rectangles without classic moldings or curves. They are abstractions of traditional trim, which can conceal the transition between the various materials. This is a good example of a Miess philosophy of use of simple truthful details and the beauty of that honesty. The Lange house is one of the few buildings Mies built in the 1920s and forms a basis for his philosophy of Architecture up until that point. The articulation of the windows and walls are associated with De Stijl which was very influential in this era .

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Fig 3.1 Als ik kan, Lange House, 2007, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/99619150@N00/500737622/

Fig 3.2 Als ik kan, Lange House- Brickwork, 2007, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/ photos/99619150@N00/500737622/

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1. Brick wall faced with plaster on the interior 2. Sheet-metal sill. Used 5 so that it will be barely visible from exterior. 3. Metal condensation gutter. 4. Interior sill. 5. Miesian reveal, the wood is applied rather than recessed and is geometrically simplistic Fig 3.4 (Door Jamb, 1928, and elegant. cited in Ford 1990)

Fig 3.3 (Window Detail, 1928, cited in Ford 1990)

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe oliver beasley

barcelona pavilion

Fig 4.1 Alfons H, Re-constructed Barcelona Pavilion, 2009, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/kanonica/5063581199/ Fig 4.2 timo, Re-constructed Barcelona Fig 4.3 (Isometric SecPavilion, 2010, [Photion at Window Junction, tograph] http://www. 1928, cited in Ford 1990) flickr.com/photos/timosch/4991221520/ 1 1. Structural steel column, faced with chrome-plated sheet metal. Junction with base plate and beam concealed. 2. Monolythic Onyx wall, achieved with thin veneered stone fixed back to masonry sub-structure. Solid end pieces. 3. Window frame fabricated from two structural steel angles clad in bronze sheets (in original). Above a bronze glass stop, attached to the base with machine 2 screws. (Another example of a Miesian reveal) 4. Tapered roof with steel channel & facia at edge. Hidden roof drain located above masonry wall. 5. Unexposed steel beam. Fig 4.4 JuanVan, Re-constructed Barcelona Pavilion Interior, 2008 [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/ photos/vanneste/3252013768/

Barcelona pavilion, considered by many to this day the most beautiful modern building to be constructed anywhere. Built for German part of 1929 International Expo. in Barcalona, Spain. Free from trade stands the building was the exhibition and not just a means to contain one. A few pieces were included within the work such as the Barcalona chair designed by Mies van der Rohe and a statue designed by Georg Kolbe. There has not been a modern building since (excluding some of Miess later work) that has been able to escape invidious comparison with the detailing of this structure. The Barcalona Pavilion played host to details of Miesian design philosophy to that date, but also begins to show attributes of Miess later work which is arguably quite different to his work between 1920 and 1930. The structure at the pavilion was largely concealed to ensure precision craftsmanship and subsequently a perfect aesthetic. While some architects in this era were celebrating the joining of steel and other materials, Miess view was that if bolts were necessary then they should be hidden. This approach to detail is contradictory in a way to his published written statements which tend to suggest a disregard to aesthetic over structural honest and the beauty through that. In reality the steel manufacturing industry was not as advanced as it was in some of his later works where his exposed steel structures were common. Steel tolerances in 1920/30 were around 3/8 of an inch where as in the 1950s they were more like 1/16 of an inch and the connections were more elegant. Due to the relatively poor aesthetic value of the steelwork and connections in this age, Mies made a conscious decision to conceal the joints for aesthetic appeal. As can be seen in Fig 4.2, 4.3 & 4.5, the steel columns (on view) are made up from 4 steel angles bolted together; the steel column then connects into a plate at the top which receives the beams. At the bottom the steel then connects into a base plate. None of these connections are shown, the column itself is clad in a chrome-plated metal sheeting, the top connection detail is concealed by a boarded and skimmed plaster soffit and the connection to the base plate is concealed by the travertine. Fig 4.3 and Fig 4.7 shows an example of a miesian reveal on windows. The frames are formed with projecting glass stops fastened with a visible machine screw forming a precise reveal between the pane of glass and between the metal frames and floor and ceiling above. This reveal is arguably something that has been derived from Frank Lloyd Wrights work at the time. Mies uses simple elegant rectangles frequently in the jointing of dissimilar materials in an inverse to the conventional method of decorating joints. The building uses an ad hoc approach where the structural reality is quite different to the structural image. The roof edges are too thin to accommodate a beam sufficient to perform the cantilever; in this case Mies has the beams taper to create the thin edge that he desired (Fig 4.6). The mixture of free standing columns and columns hidden within the walls projects an image that the building is not sufficiently supported. Through Miess search for precision craftsmanship an Analogous building system is employed which facilitates the cladding of materials to ensure the details her requires are achieved. Examples of this within the Barcalona Pavilion are that of the marble and onyx monolithic (in appearance) walls. To keep costs down and to ensure the precision of these walls a masonry substructure was used with the panels of marble and onyx fixed back to this, as per Fig 4.3. Mies ensured that the joints were kept as small as possible and that the veins flowed from panel to panel as per the photograph. To ensure that the veins flowed unbroken around the corners of the walls a solid piece was used at the ends (Fig 4.3 & Fig 4.4). These veneers allowed mies to create a monolithic appearing marble/onyx wall by using a layered method of construction. This is a contrast to the methods of veneering of Otto Wagner who exposed the veneer edges. This building arrives at a beautiful composition of monolithic walls and roof slabs orientated in an ad hoc fashion consistent with Corbusier concept of free plan which is presented on a Schinkelesque platform to denote nobility. It is a good example of Miess detailed design philosophy during his time in Europe and his use of the modern day layered method of construction allows him to achieve the perfect level of craftsmanship for the building. Each material is executed with a precision appropriate to its nature.
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1 Fig 4.4 (Isometric Section at Slab, 1928, cited in Ford 1990)

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

tugendhat house
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The Tugendhat house was built in 1930 at about the same time that the Barcelona Pavilion was being pulled down after its exhibition. In many respects the Tugendhat house was a further step in Miess development after the Pavilion. The Barcelona Pavilion had achieved an independence of form and structure and this was to be the last time that such separation would be distinguishable. All columns within the Tugendhat house were intended to be exposed, however due to an objection from the client, the columns within the smallest room were moved back in to the walls. This was not similar to the pavilion as the buildings structure still read as it should. 3 The structural system had again been clad to create an abstract image of that structural system. Blake (1997). The cladding of the structure had been treated almost identically to the Barcelona Pavilion, with the chrome-plate metal sheeting covering the steel columns (again composed of 4 steel angles), the junction with the beams above were masked by a layer of plaster and the connections with the base plates below were masked by the travertine floor (fig.5.5). Minimal joints and fasteners were exposed unless they were deemed to be a suitable aesthetic. The construction of the house still followed a layered approach, similar to that of the Lange House and Weissenhof apartments. The layering allowed him to deal with the aesthetic he required by facilitating the quality of craftsmanship he desired. This was to be one of his last buildings where his analogous building system was to be used. Later in his work, Mies turns to monolithic construction where the structure has its own esthetical qualities, much more in line with his published writings in the 1920s. An onyx screen was used again in the Tugendhat house however this time the construction of the wall required to achieve the monolithic appearance, was much simpler. Instead of veneers of onyx fixed to masonry substructure the onyx was freestanding. This allowed a much thinner profile, but it meant that the cuts of onyx must be exactly the same thickness. As can be seen in fig.5.6 the connections used at the top and bottom of the wall are a simple steel angles, and at the joining of the sections of onyx, a pocket of mortar was used to achieve a hairline joint appropriate to its monolithic aesthetic. Much of Miess usual details were present, one being the reveal on windows. As can be seen in fig 5.3 a glass stop is used in exactly the same way as in the Barcelona Pavilion. This greater philosophy of reveals where simple elegant rectangles are used as an inverse to the normal decorative approach, is used in a unprecedented way by Mies in the construction of the Ebony veneered dining screen. As can be seen in fig.5.2, 5.4 & 5.5 a reveal is used between the sections of the veneers and within the recess, a higher quality timber stud is used in replacement of the lower grade timbers forming the majority of the structure. The building on a whole is a wonderful example of one of the first glass houses and the first in a whole series of spacious constructions by Mies, that allowed flexibility within the structure and brought the relationship between the outside and inside that bit closer. Taken from Blake (1997). The composition of space and the framing of nature by the large expanses of glass create an everchanging atmosphere both by use and by season. Similarly to the relocation of the Barcelona pavilion if this building was to be placed somewhere other than its architecturally sculptured landscape it sits in now, then the building would not be as highly regarded as it is.

4 Fig 4.6 Barcelona Pavilion (Isometric Section at Roof edge, 1928, cited in Ford 1990)

Fig 4.7 LeonL, Re-constructed Barcelona Pavilion Window Detail, 2007 [Photograph] http://www. flickr.com/photos/leonl/608750151/

Fig 5.1 Doctor Casino, Tugendhat House Exterior, 2010 [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorcasino/4969635234/lightbox/ Fig 5.2 (Section Tungendhat Ebony screen wall), 1930, cited in Ford 1990) 1. Glass stops projecting in the typical Miesian manner. 2. Structural steel work hidden within the layered construction 3. Recessed reveal for joining of ebony veneer. 4. Steel column chrome-plated with all connections concealed. 5. Steel section, fixed to steel angle provides a fixing for the top and bottom of the onyx wall. 6. Pockets of mortar used to connect panels while providing a hairline joint to the face of the panels. Fig 5.5 Samuel T Ludwig, Ebony Screen Wall, 2009, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/ st_ludwig/3774268812/

Fig 5.3 (Isometric Section Tungendhat window), 1930, cited in Ford 1990) 4

american mies

Fig 5.4 (Section Tungendhat Ebony screen wall), 1930, cited in Ford 1990)

Although Mies did not leave for America until after 1938, he did not complete many projects after the Tungendhat house before he left. Between the completion of the Tugendhat house and 1933, Mies had become director at the Bauhaus, which at this point was located in Berlin. The Bauhaus translates as building school; however other artistic professions were also studied there. Mies took over from Hannes Meyer a Swiss Architect who had been in charge of the school between 1928 and 1930. During this time the Bauhaus had got a reputation for being of communist influence. This is arguably the fault of Meyer, and at the time that Mies had taken over this was not a good association to have. During his time in charge of the Bauhaus Mies had fought of many attempts by the Nazis to have the school closed down. Eventually in 1933 Mies decided to close the school himself, perhaps sensing the ever stronger winds of change within Berlin at the time.
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the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

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Fig 5.6 Tugendhat House (Details of Onyx Wall, 1930, cited in Ford 1990)

In 1938 Mies moved to America and became the director of Architecture at IIT in Chicago, Illinois. Many things were to separate the American Mies from the European Mies but his love and understanding of materials and his passion for precision craftsmanship would be constant throughout his work. Mies had a large following in the US and was renowned for his International Style. The international style was a term coined by Hitchcock and Johnson and there are three necessary characteristics which made up this modernist style. Expression of volume rather than mass Balance rather than preconceived symmetry The expulsion of applied ornament Hitchcock & Johnson (1997) In his ingorial address at IIT Mies spoke about students being taught wood, then how to build with stone, then brick and finally concrete and glass. He made it clear that these fundamentals must be understood before students can dream of tackling design. Blake (1997) The way Mies had learnt obviously had a huge influence on his architecture and had deemed in necessary that his students learn in a similar way. They must learn to walk before they can run Mies said. His inaugural speech is just as important in understanding the Miesian design philosophy as it is through studying examples of his built work. Each material has its specific characteristics which we must understand if we want to use it This is no less true of steel and concrete [than of wood, brick and stone]. We must remember that everything depends on how we use a material, not on the material itself. New materials are not necessarily superior. Each material is only what we make it. We must become familiar with the psychological and spiritual factors of our day and we must understand buildings function as much as we understand materials Blake (1997) The president of IIT at the time, Dr. Henry Heald entrusted the planning and designing of the new IIT campus to Mies. Mies was to design the master plan for the campus and construct the buildings that were to populate it. This was a turning point in the Architecture of Mies van der Rohe. He began to compose his design philosophy more and with less restriction than in his European work. The production of steel in America was abundant and Mies would employ this material because of this. He also thought that glass and brick were two materials of which were economic at the time and would naturally compliment the steel. Brick is small scale, easily handled, easily fits around the flange of steel columns and beams and is easily recognised for its familiar size. Glass set into steel or aluminium frames could e attached with similar ease to the flanges of a steel case. Blake (1997) The transparency of glass would permit Mies to reveal the structural cage of the building. This would be the beginning of his skin and bone architecture. Louis Sullivan had said that form follows function and this is something that Mies really wanted to put to the test with the IIT campus buildings. It occurred to Mies that for something to be truly designed around the functionality of a building then it must be flexible. As is the case with buildings now, they often outlive their original intended function, and more and more buildings were either being demolished to make way for a building with a new function or badly retrofitted to accommodate the new function. The only function one could be sure of in any building built to last, was the function of flexibility of use throughout its lifetime. Blake (1997) This concept of universal buildings was not necessarily a new one and can be traced back the classical architecture such as the Pantheon. Classicist believed that mankind needed not special but universal solutions- solutions applicable to a temple as they might be to a palace Blake (1997). This view was not without criticism. This idea of constructing a building which would be demolished once there was a requirement for a different function was arguably what the US construction industry was built-on. Structural bays were to appear on most facades, of the new buildings at IIT, as steel formed rectangle twenty four feet long and 12 feet high (double square). Blake (1997). This proportion was one of

Fig 6.1 Chicago History Musueum, Masterplan of IIT by Mies van der Rohe, [Photograph] http://www.iit.edu/giving/mies/master_plan/

Fig 6.2 1946 Alumni Memorial Hall, IIT, Chicago, [Photograph] http://www.historiasztuki.com.pl/72_ARCHWSP_MIES.html Fig 6.3 Fassdant, 1943 Minerals and Metals Research Building IIT, Chicago, [Photograph], http://www. flickr.com/photos/faasdant/4276984998/in/ photostream/

Fig 6.5 Mies stood above with a model of his IIT masterplan, 1941, [Photograph] http://www.iit.edu/ Fig 6.4 Fassdant, 1946, Perlstein Hall IIT, Chicago [Photograph], giving/mies/about_ mies/mies_at_iit/origihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/faasdant/4277006590/lightbox/ nal_master_plan.shtml dant/4276984998/in/photostream/

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

oliver beasley

the oldest and most effective proportional systems in architecture. This universal facade could be clad in either brick or glass and could accommodate a variety of spaces all of which, the universal facade could embrace. The second quality of the buildings at IIT is the composition of them on the site. They were organised into a series of quadrangles, with interlocking spaces, the result of which gave the impression, when walking across campus, of buildings sliding out from one another. The first building on the IIT campus was completed in 1943. During the construction of the campus, the directors of the schools changed and unlike Heald, they wished for Architects other than Mies to construct some of the buildings.

farnsworth house
Fig. 7.1 Farnsworth House, Suttonhoo22, 2006, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/suttonhoo22/166151653/ Fig. 7.2 Farnsworth House, [Photograph] http://news.architecture.sk/uploaded_images/ fh_test_4-704799.jpg

As an architect of ever increasing popularity, Mies had to attend certain social functions. At one of these event Mies had met a woman call Dr. Edith Farnsworth, and soon became good friends. Dr. Farnsworth had bought a large plot of land on the Fox River in Plano, Illinois and asked Mies if he would design for her, a weekend house. The design and construction of this house took 6 years in total, with it being finally completed in 1951. It was not without its drama, as the relationship between Mies and Dr. Farnsworth began to break down, a law suit was filed by Mies for outstanding monies owed to him by Dr. Farnsworth. A counter lawsuit was filed by Dr. Farnsworth, accusing Mies of malpractice due to the cost overruns that the building incurred. Mies was victorious; however the publicity that followed was particularly slamming towards him. His links with the Bauhaus in the 1920s, and the subjective view that the Farnsworth house was cold, brutal and without any privacy, lead to labelling of his Architecture, by some, as communistic. Whether this building was a formalisation of some deep utilitarian principles, or simply a result of a distilled modernist philosophy, it is undoubtedly one of finest pieces of Miesian Architecture and is regarded as so, the world over. The house is a rectangular structure of eight columns set in two parallel rows some twenty-eight feet apart. In the long direction of the plan the steel columns are spanning twenty two feet apart. Between these eight columns there are held two slabs framed in steel the floor and the roof. Blake (1997) The floor appears to be floating parallel to the roof slab as it is sited approximately four feet above the ground. This is to address the issues of seasonal flooding that happen every year. Between the steel supports is glass which encloses the living space and the porch. The steel structure allows a universal space, which is designed to accommodate the needs of the weekend house and any other needs should they change in the future. This was Miess best example to date of his design philosophy, where the beauty lay in the honesty of a monolithic structure. Before the Farnsworth house Mies had stood by this principle but had not built anything truly conforming to it. Now, in 1950 when the technological advancements in steel were to a standard, that mean it could be used as an aesthetic, Mies built something true to his writings from all those years ago. The steel frame of the Farnsworth house was connected by means of welding and not bolts or rivets as per the Barcelona Pavilion. The welds were ground down, the surface was sandblasted, it was then zinc coated for protection, polished and then finally painted very meticulously in white (fig. 7.3 & 7.5). Like Miess previous buildings connections and fasteners were still hidden where he felt appropriate and glass stops forming a reveal at the window were still used in the same modernist manner as per fig. 7.4. The supremely elegant glass box, was perfect for its location in a secluded and abundantly green open space. Miess use of all glass facade and white interior, was intended to present a frame for a beautiful ever-changing picture that was, nature. It is not only the occupier who benefits from this articulation of glass and structure, but admiring the building from the outside will see in the reflections of the glass a beautiful composition of clouds, sky and leaves. It has been said that, although the Farnsworth house was exquisitely simple and beautiful abstract statement about structure, skin and space it was hardly a house for living in, but that was just it, it wasnt a house for living in it was a weekend retreat, not meant for permanent occupation. Blake (1997).
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Fig. 7.4 Detail of Steel Junction with Window Frame at Farnsworth House.

Fig. 7.3 Isometric Section Farnsworth House), 1950, cited in Ford 1990)

1. Steel column section elevates the floor slab up above ground to defend against flooding. 2. Window frame fabricated from steel sections incorporating a typical glass stop reveal. 3. Exposed monolythic steel column, joined to the steel channel by plug welds on the concealed side, removing any visible means of fastening. 4. Built up roof construction consisting of foam glass insulation, precast concrete slab, steel beams and a plaster ceiling. 5. Travertine floor on top of a in-situ concrete poured over a layer of insulation and concrete planks. Within this are radiant heating coils.

Fig. 7.5 Farnsworth House, Timothysate, 2008, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/ timothystate/2819015682/in/photostream/

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

lake shore apartments

In 1951 Mies completed another building project that was, arguably, as ground breaking as the Farnsworth house. This was two towers of apartments at 860 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois. This was one of many construction projects that Mies had entered into with Herbert Greenwald, a Philosophy student hed met at IIT. The buildings are rectangular in plan with two towers stretching 26 stories high and spaced 46 feet apart to gave the best views of lake Michigan. The buildings are all steel and glass; columns and beams are covered in black steel plate and vertical I beam sections of black steel are spaced around 5 feet apart and welded to the exterior. These I beam rails run the full height of the building and floor to ceiling panels of glass framed in aluminium are set between the rails. Blake (1997). This high rise structure of uninterrupted glass was the first time that Miess concept from the early 1920s had been constructed. Fig. 8.3 Lakeshore Drive, nickthorn, 2009, [Photograph] http://www.flickr. com/photos/n-jt/4979557227/ Achieving this building was certainly not an easy task for Mies and had to make decisions, some say, that strayed from his own principles of design and construction. The problem arose with the Chicago building code, who required that the steel be fireproofed all round by two inches of concrete. This would have created a completely different look for Miess building altering the proportions to such an extent that the building would read more horizontal than vertical. To avoid this conflict Mies agreed to the fire proofing and finished the concrete with black steel plates and then, welded to the external face, a pattern of slim vertical I-beam rails soaring up from the second floor line of the building (see fig. 8.3), in a pattern of closely spaced vertical strips all the way to the roofline 250 feet above. Blake (1997). The first impression of this is that Mies had used the steel I-beam sections as decoration and obviously this was extremely contentions with his functionalist followers. Miess rational behind this apparent use of decoration showed logic and vindicated any earlier concerns. He said that firstly, the building would have looked wrong without the vertical structural steel frame. Secondly the black metal plates which surrounded the concrete require the external I-beams to brace it so that it does not ripple. It was then Miess thought that the black metal plates could also be used as shuttering for the concrete that could be left in situ. So when the shuttering was lifted into its permanent position the I-beams were already bound to the external face. The effect of the buildings facade had lead people to criticise it as being cold and inhuman, where in reality this magnificently proportioned building which rises out of the lake Michigan shoreline has a uniquely human feel. Through each expanse of glass is a hugely flexible apartment space which allows a degree of customisation and flexibility never before seen in a high rise building, and subsequently displays hundreds of rectangular pockets of individualism. Fig. 9.1 Crown Hall IIT, numstead, 2007, [Photography] http://www.flickr.com/photos/numst ead/548294722/ 1.Mies classical corner detail formed out of steel angles and I-Beams. 2. Deep roof girders suspended above building to carry the roof below. This allows an unobstructed ceiling internally with no downstand beams.

2 1 Fig. 8.2 860 Lakeshore Drive during construction, mister_scantastic, 2008, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/ photos/30885260@ N06/3030410677/

Fig. 8.1 860 Lakeshore Drive, faasdant, 2008, [Photograph] http://www.flickr. com/photos/faasdant/4073517722/

1. Piloti columns forming arcade at ground floor. 2. I-Beam fixed to steel plate concrete shuttering. Representation of structure within concrete fire protection. Columns brace structure to prevent rippleing.

crown hall

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In 1956 Mies designed and constructed one of the last buildings he was to be involved with at IIT. This building was to house the school of architecture and ID (off shoot of Chicago Bauhaus). The building took similar proportions and design ethos as the previous buildings Mies had designed for the campus. The building which is completely open and unrestricted internally achieves this huge flexible space from deep girders suspended above the roof plan allowing the ceiling to be hung from above. This meant that there were no obstructive down stands of beams that would restrict the flexibility of the space. All exterior walls between the columns are glass and still have typical Miesian rectangular reveal details. This building is particularly famous for its example of a Miesian classical corner detail. The detail in this instance is made up from a steel plate resting on top of a short brick base. Atop the plate are the two outer sides of the concrete insulated column, covered by a vertical steel angle; connected to the angle are a pair of I-beams that run either direction from the midpoint of the encased column and carry the glass and brick that compose the buildings exterior walls. All the steel pieces are welded together and painted black, forming a single, perfectly proportioned perpendicular transition from one wall to the next. The solution as can be seen in fig.9.3 and 9.2 has become iconic. (Lynn Becker 2003)
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Fig.9.3 Crown Hall IIT, yan.da, 2006, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/pho- Fig. 9.2 Crown Hall IIT Corner. tos/darajan/241341271/
the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

The essence of space is not determined by the mere presence of limiting surfaces but by the spiritual principle of this limitation. The true task of architecture is to let the structure articulate the space; it is not the building that is the work of art but space.Zimmerman Gossel (2006)

seagram building

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In 1955 Mies was appointed, from a choice of Corbusier and Wright, as architect for the Seagram building in New York City. Finished in 1958 the thirty eight storeys, bronze and gray-glass tower on Park Avenue was formally opened. It was a huge success. It received praise from many architects, some whom had criticised his work in the past and some who were of a different architectural movement altogether. What was particularly refreshing, especially within New York City, was the wasted space. That is to say 50% of the site had not been used and given over to the public realm. This was seen as a very bold move, but the scheme was so much better because of it. It actually allowed people to see the full extent of the building, which was surprisingly uncommon in the city as the buildings were accessed straight from the foot path you would never really get the full impression of a structure and what a structure it was. The building composed from essential classical forms and proportions, raised and displayed on a granite paved plaza in a style reminiscent of the Barcelona Pavilion and influenced from some of schickles neoclassicism he was so fond of. Similarly to the lake shore apartments the building was presented on stilts with a recessed ground floor, presenting huge arcades formed from the steel pilotis. The building was designed with such painstaking care all the way through. No doorknob, no lavatory or faucet, no sign, no mail chute was left to accident. Everything in the building was designed with the same principles to ensure the building was a unified whole. Philip Johnson an architect registered in New York city and a good friend of Mies van der Rohes would take charge of designing the internal space, while maintaining Miess strict principles. Blake (1997). Constructed in an almost identical fashion to the lake shore apartments, the structure was again fire protected in concrete which in turn was clad with black metal. Bronze toned steel I-beams were fixed on the outside to emulate the structure that was concealed within a mass of concrete. This was the most expensive skyscraper built to date and its not surprising the quality of materials that had gone into it. The internal spaces were decked out with travertine and marble as per some of Mies earlier work. The proportions of this building were so important to Mies that, to avoid the irregular use of blinds, he specified blinds that would only have 3 movements. Completely open, half shut or completely shut so not to ruin the symmetry of the building. This was an iconic structure, and this is as true now as it was then, like a lot of Miess work this would become a mass produced building style in almost every city around the world, although arguably, none of them ever got it completely right.

Fig. 10.2 Seagram Building Corner, runnin for asthma, 2007 [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningforasthma/1235911264/ 1. .Mies classical corner detail formed out of steel angles and I-Beams. 2. I-Beams on external face to insinuate structural steel which is encased in concrete.To provide bracing for metal formwork. 3. Structural Steel is encased in concrete to provide fire resistance. Concrete is faced in black metal. I-beams fixed to metal sheathing around concrete.

Fig. 10.1 Seagram Building, eralsoto, 2008 [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/8534413@N03/2904774233/ 2 1

Fig. 10.3 Seagram Building, Scott Norsworthy, 2009, [Photograph], http:// www.flickr.com/photos/ scottnorory/3332976369/

new national gallery

Fig. 10.4Seagram Building Corner Detail

After construction of the Seagram building, Mies worked on a number of projects, one of these was the Federal Centre in Chicago and another was the Toronto Dominican Centre. Both buildings were designed and constructed similarly to lake shore drive and the Seagram building but with subtle refinements. Miess also designed the Bacardi office building which was going to be similar to his last project however the Bacardi building was designed in concrete and this would be once again, in steel. Between 1960-1968 Mies worked on a scheme for the Neue Nationalgalerie, New National gallery that was to be built in West Berlin. The building was completed on September the 15th, 1968 and turned out to be one best examples of Miess work, so much so it was said to be on a par with his Seagram building and the Barcelona Pavilion. This horizontal structure which has similarities with Miess design for the Bacardi office building, bears classical tones and proportions, similar to that of the Pantheon in Greece. The 215 square foot roof
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Fig. 11.1 Chicago Federal Centre, Hagen Stier, 2007, [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/30982458@N00/939659590/
the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

1. Steel columns comprised of 4 T-section steel members connecting at the top through a pin joint to the roof structure. 2. Roof structure consisting of 6 foot deep welded steel girders placed at 12 foot centres. Roof cantileves over building. 3. Greek marble cladding used to cover 2no. vertical utility shafts in the building. 4. Roof grid containing downlights recessed within a black aluminium grill to keep the glare of the spotlights out of the viewers eyes Blake (1997)

cantilevers over the upper gallery space, forming another piloti arcade from the structural columns that support it, similar to that of the Seagram building and the Lake Shore Apartments. The internal space at the top level is nearly completely unobstructed in line with Miess universal building principles. The classical pedestal on which the building stands houses the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. This is interesting as Miess principle of presenting buildings on Pedestals, stems from influences of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, a Prussian Architect. The columns are connected to the roof structure using pin connections as can be seen in Fig 12.1 & 12.2. The roofs framing consists of 6 foot deep welded steel girders at 12 foot centres. Blake (1997). Within the structural steel roof structure are down lights used to illuminate the exhibitions these are recessed into a black aluminium grid so not to glare the visitors eyes. The slab on which the building is resting on is of a more contemporary construction method, a reinforced concrete slab. The building houses both permanent and temporary art exhibitions, the latter are better suited the upper level as permanent exhibitions are at risk of bleaching from the sun due to the glass walls surrounding the space. The New National Gallery is a distillation of 60 years of Miesian design principles. Principles whose ingredients had always been present in Miess exhaustive list of work but had not always had the means to become a pure practical result of them. The building was completed in 1968 to wide acclaim, architects and museum directors the world over attended the opening, even the architect Gropius was there (Mies and Gropius and not always seen eye to eye), the only person missing, was Mies who was too unwell to attend.

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a lifes work

Fig. 11.2 Toronto Dominican Centre, Redroom Studios, 2009 [Photograph] http://www.flickr.com/ photos/redroom_studios/3530743777/

Fig. 12.2 New National Gallery, Berlin, h sann,2010 [Photograph] http:// www.flickr.com/photos/runningforasthma/1235911264/

The Miesian ideas of craftsmanship cannot be separated from the miesian ideas of building. Mies used layered and clad systems of buildings, not because he was a follower of simper or because he saw it as the nature of the twentieth century construction. He used layered systems because they enabled him to achieve a level precision in joinery that he desired. By cladding the structure in simple seamless envelopes, he was able to hide the crude structural joints, minimize the number of joints exposed and execute these joints with the required precision. Mies, although praised monolithic construction of Architects such as Berlarge, did not construct in this way because he could not execute the required precision in steel or concrete at the time. It was not until he moved to America that he felt the technology was to a stage that would facilitate his monolithic ideals. (Ford 1990). Unlike other Architects at the time such as Corbusier and Wright, Mies never once ignored the detail of a building over the residing form, to him detail was everything, god was in the detail. He did not go without criticisms of his design philosophy, but to him it was the only answer. The practical approach of using materials and technology appropriate to the age he was in (steel and glass) and the economy of where he was building. Coupled with a rational clarity and intellectual order, this was to be his winning formula.

If it were necessary to make curves, I would make curves Mies van der Rohe from Blake (1997). As in every one of his designs from sky scrapers to dining chairs, Mies reduced each object to its essential elements and then refined each detail to a point. Blake (1997). The unity between the big and the small, the form and the detail, was what make his Architecture stand out even 40 to 80 years on, and what makes the thousands of buildings across the world built in his style, imitations and not masterpieces. Approximately one year after the opening of the New National Gallery, on the 17th of August 1969, in Chicago, Mies van der Rohe died at the age of 83.
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Fig. 12.3 New National Gallery, Berlin, Pesterussa, 2007 [Photograph] http://www. Fig. 12.1 New National Gallery, Berlin, manuela.martin, 2009 [Photo- flickr.com/photos/pesgraph] http://www.flickr.com/photos/manuelasiener/3166216246/ terussa/2298600748/
the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

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A A plan of barcalona pavilion (not to scale)

1. Steel beam. None of the steel structure is exposed. 2. Plaster ceiling. The ceiling is completely flat, with no recognition of the steel beams above. 3. Structural steel column faced, with with chrome plated sheet metal. 4. Travertine on concrete slab. 4 5. Detail of steel column base. This is set in a hollow cavity to allow for dismantling of the frame. In a permanent building, it would have been encased in concrete. 6. Roof drain. The pipes for these are concealed within the masonry walls, as are some of the columns. 7. Steel channel and fascia. The roof is tapered toward its edges so that it appears as a thin plane from ground level. The steel beams infact require it to be much deeper. 5 8. Brick or masonry wall, faced with one of three kind of marble. 9. Window frame, fabricated from two structural steel angles which are clad with bronze sheets. Blake (1997)
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1:20 existing section A-A

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

8 4 external 1 2 5 internal 6 7

1:10 proposed roof edge detail

1:10 proposed slab edge detail

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1. Travertine flags. 2. Concrete slab. 3. Concrete foundations supporting masonry substructure. 4. A masonry substructure supports the marble on the external face and restraint clips fixed past the insulation support marble on the internal face. On internal face 50-75mm of rigid insulation is laid between the marble and the masonry. 5. Internal floor constructed of travertine flags laid on 200mm of rigid insulation which is laid on a concrete slab. Insulation run down from wall provides edging insulation. 6. Steel channel and fascia. The roof is tapered toward its edges so that it appears as a thin plane from ground level. The steel beams infact require it to be much deeper. Blake (1997) 7. Roof filled with mineral wool batt between steel beams. 8. Roof drain. The pipes for these are concealed within the masonry walls, as are some of the columns. Blake (1997) 9. Double glazed window sited between travertine flags insulated in rubber gasket.
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1:10 proposed window detail

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

references
Blake, P.1997. The Master Builders: Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, US: WW Norton & Co. Ford, E. R. 1990, The Details of Modern Architecture: 1928 to 1988 V.1, Cambridge, Mass, US: MIT Press Ltd Hitchcock, H. R., Johnson, P. 1997, The International Style, New York, US: WW Norton & Co Lynn Becker, 2003. Mies van der Rohe. [online] Available at:: <http://www.lynnbecker. com/repeat/ oedipusrem/miesit.htm> [Accessed 5 November 2010]. Schulze, F. 1995. Mies van der Rohe: A critical Biography, Chicago, IL, US: University of Chicago Press Zimmerman C. & Gossel P. 2006, Mies Van Der Rohe: Finding Perfection in Purity, Cologne/ DE: Taschen GmbH Zukowsky, J. 1986, Mies Reconsidered: His career, Legacy & Disciplins, New York, US: Rizzoli International Publication.

bibliography
Blake, P.1997. The Master Builders: Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, US: WW Norton & Co. Carter P. 1999, Mies Van Der Rohe at Work, London/GB: Phaidon Press Ltd Clemence P. 2006, Mies Van Der Rohes Farnsworth House, Atglen/US: Schiffer Publishing Ltd Cohen J. L. 2007, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, US: Birkhauser Basel Ford, E. R. 1990, The Details of Modern Architecture: 1928 to 1988 V.1, Cambridge, Mass, US: MIT Press Ltd Great Buildings Online, 2010. Mies van der Rohe. [online] Available at: <http://www.greatbuildings. com/architects/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe.html> [Accessed 2 October 2009]. Hitchcock, H. R., Johnson, P. 1997, The International Style, New York, US: WW Norton & Co Lynn Becker, 2003. Mies van der Rohe. [online] Available at:: <http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/ oedipusrem/miesit.htm> [Accessed 5 November 2010]. Schulze, F. 1995. Mies van der Rohe: A critical Biography, Chicago, IL, US: University of Chicago Press Zimmerman C. & Gossel P. 2006, Mies Van Der Rohe: Finding Perfection in Purity, Cologne/DE: Taschen GmbH Zukowsky, J. 1986, Mies Reconsidered: His career, Legacy & Disciplins, New York, US: Rizzoli International Publication.

the design philosophy of mies van der rohe

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