Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969)
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-born American architect. His name is pronounced "Lood-wig mees (rhymes with peace) van durr row" and is referred to by is surname, Mies, in America. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture. He created an influential 20th-Century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity.
Mies designed modern furniture pieces using new industrial technologies that have become popular classics, such as the Barcelona chair and table, and the Brno chair. His furniture is known for fine craftsmanship, a mix of traditional luxurious fabrics like leather combined with modern chrome frames, and a distinct separation of the supporting structure and the supported surfaces, often employing cantilevers to enhance the feeling of lightness created by delicate structural frames. During this period, he collaborated closely with interior designer and companion Lilly Reich.
In 1938, Mies moved from Europe to Chicago and devoted the rest of his career to promoting the Modernist style of architecture in the United States, resulting in rigorously modern buildings such as the Seagram Building in New York City and the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois.