When Ludwig Mies van der Rohe left his native Germany for Chicago in 1938, the world of modern architecture was forever changed. Mies left the influential Bauhaus school to take a position at the then-called Armour Institute of Technology in the Bronzeville neighborhood where Mies would go on to craft many of his iconic minimalistic buildings. Mies' "less is more" gospel sought to find beauty in simplicity and rejected elaborate ornamentation. Often considered as one of the most influential American architects and one of the pioneers of Modernism, Mies' was not immune to criticism, or even disdain. The architect was prolific in his output, designing buildings for clients throughout the world, however no other city can claim to have more of Mies' designs than Chicago. The IIT campus on Chicago's south side has the densest concentration of Mies-designed structures, while the iconic Farnsworth House was built well outside of city limits in Plano, IL. Utilizing the Mies Society's resources, we celebrate the legendary architect's 129th birthday by exploring the 15 most significant works of Mies van der Rohe in Chicago.
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