Mies van der Rohe at Work

London and New York: Phaidon Press, 1999. 192 pages, illustrations; 25 x 29 cm. Originally published: London: Pall Mall Press, 1974. Firm binding, gently creased spine. Clean inside copy. "Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) is a leading figure in twentieth-century architecture. This book embodies a unique document of his philosophy of architecture, his way of working and his rigorous teaching methodology. Mies van der Rohe at Work is a new paperback reprint of a classic title first published in 1974, and features enhanced reproductions of the original photography and a new foreword by Phyllis Lambert, Founding Director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Peter Carter, who studied and later worked with Mies, began the book while an associate in Mies van der Rohe's firm. Mies' structural and spatial concepts are analysed through three building prototypes: the skeleton-frame building, both in its high- and low-rise manifestations, and the clear-span building. 28 of his most important projects are examined in depth within the context of urban space. Mies also made a significant contribution to architectural education, first as Director of the Bauhaus between 1930 and 1933, and later in the USA at the Illinois Institute of Technology. This tome devotes an entire section entirely to the architect as educator, which is illustrated with examples drawn from Mies' students at IIT. The final section traces his life from his early years as the son of a stonemason to his eventual emergence as the twentieth century's master architect of steel and glass, through a collection of statements by Mies himself and his colleagues. A magnificent tour de force, this definitive monograph encapsulates the life and work of this monumental architect in multiple dimensions, to bringing Mies van der Rohe to life with sensitivity and rigour" - Publisher. CONTENTS: Structural and spatial concepts; three projects - glass skyscraper; concrete office building; brick country house; two seminal buildings - Barcelona Pavilion; Tugendhat House; projects 1931-8 - court houses; Resor House; Brussels Pavilion; structural and special concepts - summary; three building types - introduction; high-rise skeleton frame buildings - office buildings; apartment buildings; three skin solutions; scale; 860 Lake Shore Drive apartments; Commonwealth Promenade Apartments; Colonnade Apartments; Seagram Building; Toronto Dominion Bank Tower; US Courthouse and Federal Office Building; low-rise skeleton frame buildings - Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering Building at IIT; the Commons at IIT; library and administration building; clear span buildings - Farnsworth House; Crown Hall at IIT; National Theatre, Mannheim; New National Gallery, Berlin; Convention Hall; structure, materials and detailing; three building types - summary; urban spaces; Illinois Institute of Technology - a campus in the city; 860 Lake Shore Apartments; Lafayette Park; Seagram Building; Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines; Chicago Federal Center; Toronto-Dominion Center; Westmount Square; a new city square and office tower in the city of London; Plaza detailing; landscaping; urban spaces - summary; education of architects.. Paperback. Very Good. Oblong.