Ludwig Mies was born in Aachen, Germany in 1886 and later his mother's family name to become known as Mies Van der Rohe after his father left abruptly. Mies began his architectural career as an apprentice with a furniture designer in Berlin in 1905. By 1907, without formal architectural training, he designed his first house made of wood in an eighteenth-century style. Realizing he needed better training, he took a job as a draftsman and designer with Peter Behrens. His creative breakthrough came in 1921, when a competition was held for the design of a skyscraper on the Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. His rendition was very forward looking, and of great simplicity. It took the form of three prismatic towers around a central core. The exterior was sheathed with glass. Unfortunately, the design did not meet the contests specification, so it was not considered and never built. Over the next several years, Van der Rohe continued to design with limited success. In 1927 his previous work with glass and concrete was recognized with a commission to oversee the building of 320 white houses in Stuttgart, Germany. This was to be the first housing project to be built in Europe using the most modern designs and materials. He was basically in charge of 16 of the world's most renowned architects; men like Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Peter Behrens for whom he apprenticed. This striking work lead to his appointment in 1929 as director of the German Section at the International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. His Barcelona Pavilion expressed a belief that space must be made universal and flexible, and glass and steel were the best way to achieve his "skin and bones" clarity. It is said that this one building would have insured Van der Rohe's fame. The building was destroyed in 1930 but was rebuilt to facsimile on its original site in 1980. With war looming in Europe, Van der Rohe made his first trip to the United States in 1937. In 1938 he moved to Chicago where he was appointed Director of Architecture at the Armour Institute, which two years later became known as the Illinois Institute of Technology. His architectural contributions to the campus reassured his fame and helped establish Chicago as the preeminent city for modern architectural design. His 26-story glass apartment building on the Chicago waterfront is still included on every architectural tour of the city, and a must see for anyone who loves modern architecture.
This collection of fabrics is from our Transition 2010 issue of Vogue Fabrics By Mail, a color coordinated catalog of fashion fabric swatches for wardrobe building.
This collection of fabrics is from our Transition 2010 issue of Vogue Fabrics By Mail, a color coordinated catalog of fashion fabric swatches for wardrobe building.
