Mies Van Der Rohe

During a conversation about modern furniture design, one of the names that will surely be mentioned is that of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. A pioneer of the modern design movement of the early 20th century, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created some of the earliest modern furniture designs. Today his designs for home furniture remain high popular amongst collectors and enthusiasts and serve as inspiration for other modern designers.

Mies van der Rohe, or Mies as he was often called by his colleagues, was originally an architect by profession. A student of the famed architect Peter Behrens, Mies created a new and influential style in architecture, which emphasized extreme clarity and simplicity over traditionalism and lavish ornaments. His architectural designs were also noted for their heavy use of industrial materials such as steel and glass, and that each and every component was as functional as possible. Today several of the buildings he designed, including the Lafayette Park in Detroit and the German Pavilion in Barcelona, still exist today and are considered as cultural landmarks.

Mies van der Rohe began designing furniture mainly to complement the interiors of his building projects. Much like his modernist architectural designs, Mies' furniture creations were relatively simple and highly functional. However, his furniture designs also incorporated both old and new materials like rich leather and stainless steel, often blending them into one harmonious construction. In addition, several of Mies' furniture designs, such as the "Brno" chair for example, were fitted with cantilevers to achieve the feeling of lightness.

Although Mies van der Rohe passed away more than 40 years ago, he still remains an influential figure in the field of furniture design. Today, Mies van der Rohe's designs are widely available as reproductions from various manufacturers, notably from the Knoll furniture company in the US.

Maria Ludwig Mies (1886-1969), who is better known as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is an architect, designer, and pioneer of the Modern movement in the early 20th century. Like his famous contemporaries Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, Mies pioneered modern design in both architecture and furniture design and remains an influential benchmark for modern-day designers. He is also credited for one of the last leaders of the Bauhaus movement and for his now-famous quote "less is more".

The son of a stone-cutter, Mies van der Rohe had no formal college education in design. He worked for several design firms in his youth and in 1908 was apprenticed to famed German architect Peter Behrens. It was at Behrens that Mies became acquainted with the many theories on design and may have met with Gropius and Le Corbuiser, who were also working for Behrens at that time. Mies finished his apprenticeship in 1912, and briefly worked at the German Embassy in Saint Petersburg before setting up his own independent career as an architect.

Although he began with designing traditional German homes for the upper-class, Mies van der Rohe eventually shifted to the style of modernism. Like most designers after World War I, Mies wanted to create a new "modern" architectural style to represent the post-war era in same way Gothic and Classical architecture did for their own time. His designs for architecture were characterized for their extreme clarity and simplicity, and made heavy use of glass, steel and other industrial age materials. Some examples of buildings which Mies van der Rohe designed include the IBM Plaza in Chicago and the now-famous German Pavilion in Barcelona, Spain.

To make his buildings complete, Mies van der Rohe also designed furnishings to complement the interiors of his structures. Mies would often collaborate with his longtime companion, the German interior designer Lilly Reich, to produce furniture designs such as the Barcelona Chair and the Tugendhat Chair. And much like his architectural designs, Mies' furniture creations were strikingly modern and minimalist in construction. His designs were also noted for blending traditional and modern materials together like chrome-plated steel and leather.

Born Maria Ludwig Mies on March 27, 1886 in Aachen, Germany, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is an architect, designer, and professor of modern design. Often called simply as "Mies " by his friends, students, and colleagues, Mies van der Rohe is credited along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier for being one of the major pioneers of Modern architecture in the 20th century. He was also noted for several furniture designs he made to match his modern architectural designs, as well as for his aphorisms "God is in the details" and "less is more".

The son of a stonecutter, Mies Van der Rohe had no formal education in design but nevertheless made up for it with sheer talent and ingenuity. An apprentice of the famous German architect Peter Behrens, Mies van der Rohe sought to create a new architectural style which would represent the modern era in the same manner Classical and Gothic design did for their time. Mies eventually helped establish the modern architectural style, which is defined for its clarity, simplicity, its use of industrial materials and the complete lack of ornaments. His work spanned America to Europe, with some buildings like the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington D.C. The New National Gallery in Berlin can still be seen to this day.

Aside from his work in architecture, Mies van der Rohe also designed furnishings to complement the interiors of the buildings he designed. His Barcelona chair design for the German Pavilion, for example, was made as simple as possible to complement the free-flowing spaces of the Pavilion's interior and exterior areas. Mies van der Rohe also frequently made use of both traditional and modern materials such as fabric and chrome-plated steel in his furnishings, and often employed cantilevers to give the appearance of lightness.

Born on March 27, 1886 in Aachen, Germany, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is a German-American architect, designer and pioneer of the 20th century modern movement. He is largely known for his "skin and bones" architecture and for the several modern furniture designs he made for his structures.

The son of a stone-cutter, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had no formal education and was worked in several local design firms in his youth. In 1908 van der rohe moved to the city of Berlin and was apprenticed to the celebrated architect Peter Behrens. During his apprenticeship, van der Rohe learned the various design theories of the time and met fellow modernist pioneers Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. After completing his apprenticeship Mies van der Rohe worked briefly as a construction manager before establishing his professional practice as an architect. Several of the buildings he designed, like the New National Gallery in Berlin and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, are still standing to this day.

In addition to his work as an architect, Mies van der Rohe also made several furniture designs to complement his architectural projects. His designs, such as the Barcelona Chair of the German Pavilion in Barcelona and the Brno Chair of the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic, are noted for incorporated the sleek, functional qualities of modernism and its synthesis of traditional and modern elements. Van der Rohe was also said to have collaborated heavily with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich, while making his designs.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died on August 17, 1969 and is buried at the Chicago Graceland Cemetery in Illinois, USA. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest architects of the modern age. His furniture designs are also highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts and are being made as reproductions by several manufacturers.

The 20th century has been host to several leaders in the field of modern design, but only a handful would ever be given the title of being greatest. Among the people who would definitely be in this category is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Regarded by many as one of the most influential designers of all time, the German designer and architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe pioneered the Modern design movement of the early 20th century and produced some of the world's most popular modern furniture designs.

Born on March 27, 1886 in the old German city of Aachen, Mies van der Rohe was an architect by trade and created furniture designs specifically to furnish the interiors of his architectural projects. Two of the most famous examples of these include the Barcelona Chair for the German Pavilion exhibition building in Barcelona, Spain and the Brno and Tugendhat Chairs for the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. As a modernist architect, Mies van der Rohe frequently incorporated the functional, minimalist qualities of modern architecture into his furniture designs as well as basing them upon traditional and modern elements. Mies van der Rohe was also said to have collaborated heavily with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich, in the creation of his designs.

Aside from his professional career as an architect and designer, Mies van der Rohe also became at the director of the Dessau branch of the famed Bauhaus design school in 1930. With the recommendation of Bauhaus' founder Walter Gropius, van der Rohe eventually helmed the Bahaus up to its transfer to Berlin in 1933 to its subsequent closure by the Nazis at the same year. Frustrated by the loss of Bauhaus, Mies van der Rohe moved to Chicago and continued his teaching architectural career there until his death in 1969.

The nation of Germany is host some of the greatest movers and shakers in the field of arts and design, but when it comes down to furniture design no other name is more prominent than that of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. One of the greatest German designers of all time, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is credited as a pioneer of the Modern design movement in architecture and furniture design.

An architect by trade, Mies van der Rohe originally made his furniture designs to complement his various architectural projects around the world. Two famous examples of this include the famous "Barcelona" Chair for the German Pavilion in Barcelona Spain and the cantilevered "Brno" Chair for the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. And much like his architectural creations, van der Rohe's furniture designs were distinctly modernist with light, balanced structures and an overall lack of lavish decorative elements. Van der Rohe was also said to have collaborated with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich, in the creation of most if not all of his designs.

In addition to his contributions to the field of furniture and architecture, Mies van der Rohe also taught at the prestigious Bauhaus school of design. At the request of his colleague and Bahaus founder Walter Gropius van der Rohe replaced Hannes Meyer as director of Dessau branch of the Bauhaus in 1930, and was later followed with a membership at Prussian Academy of Arts and Sciences. However, van der Rohe's stay at the Bauhaus was short-lived, as the Nazi regime forced the Bauhaus to relocate to Berlin in 1933 and was closed at the same year.

Frustrated with the loss of the Bauhaus, Mies van der Rohe immigrated to the United States in 1937 and continued his teaching and architectural practice there until his death in 1969. Today, he remains as one of history's most influential designers and his furniture designs considered as classic examples of modernist furniture.

The 20th century gave birth to some of the greatest designers of modern furniture, but only a very few could be as important as that of the German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Recognized along with Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius as the founding fathers of modern design in furniture and architecture, van der Rohe produced some of the most iconic modern furniture designs of all time.

As with most of his contemporaries during that period, Mies van der Rohe was an architect by trade. In fact, van der Rohe wanted to create a new architectural style that would be representative of the modern times which later resulted to his contribution to the creation of the modern architectural style. Also, in a stark contrast with traditional building design van der Rohe built his buildings using modern materials like industrial and plate glass as well providing them with a minimal framework balanced with free-flowing open space. Today several of van der Rohe's architectural creations, such as the IBM Plaza, Seagram Building and the 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments in New York, are still standing to this day.

Originally, Mies van der Rohe made his furniture exclusively for use in the interiors of his architectural projects. Several examples of which include the Barcelona Chair for the German Pavilion and the Brno and Tugendhat Chairs for the Villa Tugendhat in the Czech Republic. In the same manner as his architectural creations, van der Rohe's furniture designs were made using new industrial technologies. His designs were also noted for their mix of traditional and modern materials such as leather and chrome-plated frames, the clear separation between the supporting structure and its surfaces, and the feeling of lightness that is often achieved with the use of cantilevers. It was also during this period that van der Rohe collaborated heavily with his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich.

The 20th century has seen its share of furniture designs in its 100-year duration, but they would probably all pale in comparison to the influence and contributions German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe has made for the field of furniture design. Credited along Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius as the early pioneers of the modern design movement, van der Rohe has produced some of the modern age's most recognizable designs for chairs, tables and other furnishings for the home.

As with most of his contemporaries during the early 1900s, Mies van der Rohe was originally trained as an architect. Born on March 27, 1886 at the German city of Aachen, van der Rohe started out as an apprentice for architect Peter Behrens in Berlin. The young van der Rohe worked at Behren's office from 1908 to 1912, and it was during this period that he was exposed to the current design theories of the time. After his apprenticeship was completed, van der Rohe worked briefly as a construction manage before establishing himself as a professional architect specializing on high-end residences. Today some of his creations, such as the Tugendhat House and the German Pavilion for example, still stand to this day.

With his career as an architect firmly established, Mies van der Rohe also sought out to expand his creative ideas into furniture design. His designs are often made for the purpose of furnishing his architectural projects, and heavily relied on his longtime companion, the designer Lilly Reich during the design process. And much like the structures that he made, his designs are synthesis of both modern and traditional inspirations, light structures usually achieved through the use of cantilevers, and the lack of lavish decorative elements.

Since its establishment in 1919 by famed architect Walter Gropius, the Bahaus school of Germany has been the home of many influential furniture designers of the 20th century. One such designer was Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Placed along with Le Corbusier and Gropius as one of the early proponents of the modern design movement, van der Rohe is regarded as a classic icon of modern furniture design.

Born on the 27th of March, 1886 in the German city of Aachen , Ludwig Mies van der Rohe began his career working in his father's stone-carving business and later in the office of interior designer Bruno Paul. Then in 1908 van der Rohe was accepted as a student-apprentice of Peter Behrens, a renowned architect and designer, and began working in his studio. After his apprenticeship was completed, Behrens took van der Rohe to Saint Petersburg and had him employed as construction at the German embassy. There his talents were recognized, and van der Rohe soon began making independent commissions along with his work in the embassy. It was not long after that van der Rohe, a deliberative and reticent man, decided to make his designs full time, paving the way for his illustrious career in architecture and furniture design.

With the insistence of Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe joined the the Bahaus school in 1930 as one of the school's directors. During his administration, van der Rohe transformed the school into a privately owned institution and adopted the schools signature style of functional geometric shapes. However, van der Rohe's stay at the Bahaus was short-lived, as the school was closed in 1933 due to pressure from the government, which was led the Nazi Party at that time, due to the supposed Jewish influences of the school's so-called "cosmopolitan modernism". Frustrated, van der Rohe left Germany shortly after the closure of Bahaus and moved to Chicago, Illinois and stayed there until his death in August 17, 1969.

One notable piece of furniture designed by Mies van der Rohe is the stainless steel Brno Chair. Designed in the years 1929 to 1930, the Brno Chair or MR50 is a cantilever chair based in the earlier MR20 chair design by van der Rohe. The chair was part of the interior furnishings of the famed Villa Tugendhat which van der Rohe also designed in the city of Brno, Czech Republic. The chair's most distinctive feature is its polished steel frame, which was shaped into a crescent from the back of the chair to the underside, which that enabled the structure to have a light yet sturdy cantilever structure. Today the Brno is recognized as a classic modernist design and was selected as one of the 80 man-made treasures of the world by the British Broadcasting Corporation or BBC in 2005.

If one were asked to make a list of all the great furniture designers of the 20th century, then that person would have to spend the whole day compiling them. But if the list should be narrowed to the best designers, then the list would be drastically reduced to a handful. But whatever the case may be, one of the people that will be on the list would be Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Born on March 27, 1886 at the German city of Aachen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (whose real name is Maria Ludwig Mies) started his early life working in his father's stone-carving shop and at the office of designer Bruno Paul. Then in 1908 van der Rohe worked as an apprentice at the studio of the celebrated architect Peter Behrens and stayed there until 1912. It was in his stay at Behren's studio that van der Rohe was said to have been exposed to the current design theories of the day as well as worked with Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, who were also working at Behren's studio at the time. After completing his apprenticeship, van der Rohe was hired as a construction manager at the Embassy of the German Empire at Saint Petersburg under the guidance and supervision of Behrens. There van der Rohe's talents were recognized and began working independent commissions on architectural designs. It was also at this point that Mies adopted the surname "van der Rohe".

Like most of his contemporaries before him, Mies van der Rohe was initially an architect who later used the skills, knowledge and experience he acquired in building structures to build chairs, tables and other furnishings. Today Mies van der Rohe is credited to be one of the founding fathers of modern furniture design, creating furnishings that were finely crafted and a synthesis of modern and traditional materials. His most popular work was that of the Barcelona Chair, a steel-and-leather chair van der Rohe designed in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition at Barcelona, Spain. Inspired by classical folding and campaign chairs, the Barcelona featured a light, rigid frame of stainless steel topped by a pair of large, soft leather cushions.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died on August 17, 1969, but his legacy still lives on through his iconic furniture designs. Nowadays van der Rohe is placed along Le Corbusier and Gropius as one of the founding fathers of the modern design movement, and his works a staple in art museums around the world.

When it comes to architecture in the 20th century, nothing else would ring a bell than that of the modern style. Born in sunrise years of the 1900s, the modern style has dominated the world of architecture, shaping the homes, offices, and buildings made with beautiful mixture of minimalism and glass, concrete and steel. However, the modern style is just not exclusive to architecture, as it can be found in the medium of furniture. In fact, the founding fathers of modern architecture are the same ones that pioneered modern furniture design. One of the people that helped gave birth to these two artistic movements is the renowned furniture designer and architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

If you are looking for both a well-respected architect and designer of furniture, you do not need to look further than the man that is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Along with his fellow designers and architects Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, van der Rohe paved the way for the modern architecture style which later crossed over in his designs for furniture. His works, along with that of Gropius and Corbusier, were the dominant designs of the early to the mid-20th century and influencing other designs for furnishings in the future.

Born on March 27, 1886, Mies van der Rohe (whose real name is Maria Ludwig Mies) started out his life simply as a son of a stonecarver in Aachen, North Rhine - Westphalia, Germany. Unable to consign himself to taking over the family business, van der Rohe moved to the city of Berlin to work for Bruno Paul, a famous interior designer. Shortly after that he moved to the office of the architect Peter Behrens to serve as an apprentice, and it is there that Ludwig was exposed to the various cultures and design theories of his day. It is also this time that van der Rohe might have also met and exchanged views with his contemporaries Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius, as they were also working with Behrens during that period. Finally, in 1912 Mies van der Rohe left his apprenticeship and, under the guidance of Behrens, was hired at the German Embassy in Russia. There his talent was immediately recognized, and was shortly doing commissions of his own to various clients.

One of van der Rohe's signature furniture designs is the so-called Barcelona Chair. A single-seat chair, the Barcelona chair was designed by Mies van der Rohe as part of the German pavilion during the 1929 Ibero-American Expo in Barcelona Spain. The Barcelona was typical of the van der Rohe design, as it eschewed decorations of any kind and was primarily constructed of leather and chrome-plated steel.