Hochhaus Friedrichstraße
1921 | Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
In 1921 this design for a fully glass-sheathed skyscraper was unprecedented. It was based on the untried idea that a supporting steel skeleton could free the structure’s exterior walls from their load-bearing function, allowing a building to have a surface more translucent than solid. Mies van der Rohe referred to this concept as an architecture of “skin and bones.” Inspired by the exposed structures of the American towers then being built, he argued that “only skyscrapers under construction reveal the bold constructive thoughts, and then the impression of the high-reaching steel skeletons is overpowering.”
Mies van der Rohe developed this radical proposal in response to an architectural competition for Berlin’s first skyscraper, intended for a triangular site bounded by the Spree River, the busy shopping street Friedrichstrasse, and the train station of the same name. Submitted under the title “Honeycomb,” his entry was distinguished by its crystalline plan, the daring use of glass, and an expressive silhouette that seemed to owe nothing to history. Conceived only a few years after the end of World War I, this seminal project presented a bold vision of the skyscraper as a new architectural typology for the modern metropolis, anticipating the proliferation of the tall steel-and-glass buildings that have since become ubiquitous in cities worldwide.
Publication excerpt from an essay by Terence Riley, in Matilda McQuaid, ed., Envisioning Architecture: Drawings from the Museum of Modern Art, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2002, p. 50
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies (March 27, 1886 - August 17, 1969) was a German architect. He was commonly referred to and addressed by his surname, Mies. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture.
Mies, like many of his post World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces.
He strived towards an architecture with a minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. He sought a rational approach that would guide the creative process of architectural design, and is known for his use of the aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies (March 27, 1886 - August 17, 1969) was a German architect. He was commonly referred to and addressed by his surname, Mies. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture.
Mies, like many of his post World War I contemporaries, sought to establish a new architectural style that could represent modern times just as Classical and Gothic did for their own eras. He created an influential 20th century architectural style, stated with extreme clarity and simplicity. His mature buildings made use of modern materials such as industrial steel and plate glass to define interior spaces.
He strived towards an architecture with a minimal framework of structural order balanced against the implied freedom of free-flowing open space. He called his buildings "skin and bones" architecture. He sought a rational approach that would guide the creative process of architectural design, and is known for his use of the aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".
Biography Sourced from Architectuul
Krohn, C. (2010). Das ungebaute Berlin: Stadtkonzepte im 20. Jahrhundert (Pre-Published Exhibition Catalog). DOM; University of Santa Barbara.
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. (n.d.). Architectuul. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://architectuul.com/architect/ludwig-mies-van-der-rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Office Building Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany. 1929 | MoMA. (n.d.-a). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/87556
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Office Building Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany. 1929 | MoMA. (n.d.-b). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/87557
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Office Building Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Perspective sketch). 1929 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/87554
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Office Building Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (photograph of lost collage). 1929 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/165129
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Office Building Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany, Plan of typical floor, circulation study. 1929 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/87555
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Elevation study). 1921 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/388
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Exterior perspective from north). 1921 | MoMA. (n.d.-a). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/787
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Floor plan). 1921 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/107229
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Perspective). 1921 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/107226
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Friedrichstrasse Skyscraper Project, Berlin-Mitte, Germany (Typical floor plan). 1921 | MoMA. (n.d.). The Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.moma.org/collection/works/87494