Mies Van Der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) was one of the key figures in 20th century architecture, shaping and defining the development of Modernism. This book traces the multi-facetted life and monumental achievements of Mies, and reviews the lasting influence of his work: the first buildings in Berlin, his villas, his visionary designs for high-rise buildings and theoretical projects for the metropolis; his activities at the Bauhaus up to its closure by the National Socialists; his emigration and experiences in America which ultimately resulted in the first high-rises built of steel; finally his return to Berlin to realize the building of the Neue Nationalgalerie. "His architectural work, built and unbuilt, designed over six decades of professional activity, is shaped by a philosophy of construction and the definition of new spaces, which is inseparable from a concern for order, both structural and monumental. He is a solitary figure whose work was rooted in the technology and ethos of the second machine age."