Mies van der Rohe

Less is more: Finding perfection in purity

Famed for his motto “less is more,” Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) was one of the founding fathers of modern architecture and a hotly-debated tastemaker of twentieth century aesthetics and urban experience.

Mies van der Rohe's philosophy was one of underlying truth in pure forms and proportions. With the help of contemporary technological and material developments, he sought a stripped-down purity to architecture, showcased by the likes of the Seagram Building and Farnsworth House. Some spoke out against this stark approach as the precursor to bland, generic cityscapes. Others cite Mies van der Rohe as the ultimate master of an abdingly elegant essence.

This book presents more than 20 of Mies van der Rohe's projects from the period 1906–1967 to introduce his groundbreaking practice and influence in both America and Europe.

Claire Zimmerman writes on modern architecture and contemporary culture. She was a member of the core research team for MoMA’s 2001 exhibition Mies in Berlin, and is associate professor of history of art at the University of Michigan.

Peter Gössel runs an agency for museum and exhibition design. For TASCHEN he published monographs on Julius Shulman, R.M. Schindler, John Lautner and Richard Neutra as well as several titles in the Basic Architecture Series.

About the Series

Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Architecture Series features:

• an introduction to the life and work of the architect;
• the major works in chronological order;
• information about the clients, architectural preconditions as well as construction problems and resolutions;
• a list of all the selected works and a map indicating the locations of the best and most famous buildings;
• approximately 120 illustrations (photographs, sketches, drafts and plans).