Mies Van Der Rohe : Less is More - Finding Perfection in Purity
Claire Zimmerma

Taschen (10 Nov 2006): Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was one of the founding fathers of modern architecture. The creator of the Barcelona Pavilion (1929), the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois (1945-1951) and the Seagram Building in New York (1954-1958), Mies was one of the founders of a new architectural style. Well known for his motto "less is more," he sought a kind of refined purity in architectural expression that was not seen in the reduced vocabulary of other Bauhaus members. His goal was not simply building for those of modest income but building economically in terms of sustainability, both in a technical and aesthetical way; the use of industrial materials such as steel and glass were the foundation of this approach. Though the extreme reduction of form and material in his work garnered some criticism, over the years many have tried - mostly unsuccessfully - to copy his original and elegant style. This book explores more than 20 of his projects between 1906 and 1967, from his early work around Berlin to his most important American buildings.




About the Author

Claire Zimmerman worked on the 2001 Museum of Modern Art exhibition "Mies in Berlin." In addition to authoring a number of essays for that exhibition's catalog, she has published on Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and connections between modern architecture and new media practice. A doctoral candidate at the City University of New York Graduate Center, she holds a masters in architecture from Harvard University and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. She has taught at Yale University, Barnard College, and Florida A&M University.