ID 2201 1 International Style ctd.

What is the International Style contribution of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe?

Simplified “skin-and-bones” modernism using steel superstructure and glass curtain walls; emphasized minimalism, structural clarity, and the “floating” plan.

What is the German Pavilion, Barcelona (1929)?

Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich’s temporary exhibition building (1929) noted for its floating roof planes, marble slabs, glass walls, and the Barcelona chair.

When and who designed the Barcelona chair?

1929, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with Lilly Reich.

What is the Barcelona chair’s design concept?

A low, slab-like leather cushion “floating” on a polished metal frame — a modern throne-like ceremonial seat.

What is the MR Chair and when was it made?

A 1927 cantilever tubular-steel chair by Mies van der Rohe (named for his initials); a key modernist cantilever design.

What is the Brno chair and when was it made?

1930, a streamlined cantilever chair by Mies van der Rohe designed for a residence in Brno; simple steel frame with leather seat.

What is Mies’s daybed (circa 1940)?

A low, open reclining platform with upholstered mattress/cushion that continues his “slabs floating on frame” aesthetic (c.1940).

What was Mies’s 1921 “Glass Skyscraper” concept?

An unbuilt visionary skyscraper with steel frame and full glass skin — an extreme example of skin-and-bones architecture and transparency.

What and where is the Farnsworth House (1951)?

A 1951 glass-and-steel weekend house by Mies van der Rohe on the Fox River, Illinois — an “assembly house” lifted on pilotis with glass walls.

What does Mies mean by “assembly house”?

A building conceived like a kit or assembly: clear structural frame and infill/skin that can be assembled, disassembled, or standardized.

What are the Lakeshore Drive Apartments (1951)?

Mies’s 1951 Chicago high-rise apartment towers demonstrating glass-and-steel curtain-wall residential skyscrapers.

What is Crown Hall (1956) and who designed it?

1956, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s main building for IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) — an open-span “universal space” framed by exposed steel.

What is the Seagram Building (1958)?

1958, a landmark glass-and-bronze skyscraper in NYC by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson exemplifying International Style corporate modernism.

Who designed the “Glass House” (1949) and what is it?

Philip Johnson, 1949 — a minimal glass pavilion house in Connecticut inspired by Mies’s transparency and skin-and-bones ideas.

What is Mies’s German National Gallery (Neue Nationalgalerie) and when was it completed?

Designed by Mies van der Rohe; completed in 1968 in Berlin — a monumental steel-and-glass museum with a large suspended roof.

What does the term “floating plan” describe?

Interior organization that flows freely between inside and outside with minimal fixed partitions, producing a sense of spatial float.

How does the “Golden Mean” relate to modernist design?

A proportional system (~1:1.618) used to determine harmonious dimensions in architecture and furniture (applied by many modernists).

What is meant by “skin and bones architecture”?

Structural “bones” (steel/concrete frame) carry loads while the “skin” (glass/curtain wall) encloses the building without bearing weight.

What does “less is more” mean and who popularized it?

A modernist maxim advocating simplicity and elimination of ornament — popularized by Mies van der Rohe.

What does “God is in the details” mean and who said it?

Emphasis on precision and craft in small elements because minimalism exposes every decision — credited to Mies van der Rohe.

What construction elements characterize International Style skyscrapers?

Steel superstructure (skeleton) with glass partition walls or curtain walls and recessed ground floors to create a floating effect.

Who was Lilly Reich and what was her role?

A German designer who collaborated closely with Mies (notably on the Barcelona Pavilion) and contributed to furniture and interior design choices.

What is De Stijl (the movement)?

Dutch “pure” style emphasizing reduction to verticals/horizontals, primary colors, and abstract geometric compositions (early 20th century).

Who was Gerrit Rietveld and what is the Schroder House (1924)?

Gerrit Rietveld, Dutch De Stijl architect/designer; Schroder House (Utrecht, 1924) — an iconic De Stijl residence of intersecting planes and movable partitions.

When and who made the Red/Blue Chair?

1918, Gerrit Rietveld — a De Stijl chair built from planar members painted primary red, blue, yellow with black/white elements.

What is the De Stijl idea of “space boxes”?

Compositions of intersecting vertical and horizontal planes that define volumes or “boxes” of space rather than enclosed traditional rooms.

Who was M. H. J. Schoenmaekers and why is he important to De Stijl?

A Dutch theoretician whose geometric and mathematical color/proportion theories influenced De Stijl artists (notably Mondrian and Rietveld).

What are the primary visual rules of De Stijl color/geometry?

Use only verticals and horizontals, flat planes, and a palette of primary colors plus black, white, and gray.

How did Mies use the Golden Mean in his designs?

He applied proportional ratios (golden-section logic) to spacing, placement of columns, recesses, and chair/back proportions for balanced harmony.

Why did Mies recess the ground floor in many buildings?

To create visual lightness and the illusion that the upper mass “floats” above the ground by hiding structural supports.

What is the formal relationship between Mies’s furniture and architecture?

Furniture often echoes architectural logic: slab cushions floating on structural frames, minimal details, and precise proportions.

What role did glass partition walls play in International Style interiors?

They maximized transparency, visually connected interior/exterior, and allowed flexible spatial arrangements with movable partitions.

How did Mies’s “skin-and-bones” approach influence corporate architecture?

It established the glass-and-steel corporate tower as a universal, corporate modernist typology (e.g., Seagram Building).

What is the design significance of the Brno and MR cantilever chairs?

They demonstrate structural honesty (cantilever steel frames) and the modernist ideal of form following functional structural logic.

What is the architectural effect of matching interior flooring/materials with exterior terraces in Mies’s work?

Creates continuity between inside and outside, reinforcing the floating-plan and visual integration with the site.