Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Less is more, glass and steel architecture
Most quoted
"The new era is a fact; it exists, irrespective of our approval or disapproval. It is a spiritual fact, and it is our task to recognize it and to find its true meaning."
— from G, no. 1, 1923
"I believe that architecture has little to do with the invention of interesting forms or with personal taste. Its real task is to give form to the life of its time."
— from Speech at the Illinois Institute of Technology, 1950
"If we succeed in raising this industrial production to the level of a valid building form, then the social, economic, and technical problems will also be solved."
— from G magazine article, 1924
All quotes by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (321)
The structure is the whole.
The more spiritual the work, the more spiritual the material.
The problem of the modern city is not a problem of aesthetics, but a problem of organization.
We must bring architecture back to its true meaning.
The new architecture must be simple, clear, and logical.
Architecture is a battle, not a game.
The practical is the basis of the beautiful.
The new architecture must be a reflection of the new man.
I believe that architecture is a spiritual art.
The material is the means, not the end.
The new architecture must be an expression of the collective will.
We must build for our time, not for the past.
The new architecture must be functional.
The new architecture must be honest.
The new architecture must be universal.
The new architecture must be economical.
The new architecture must be beautiful.
The new architecture must be a reflection of the spirit of our time.
The new architecture must be a symbol of our civilization.
The new architecture must be a monument to our time.
Contemporaries of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Other Architectures born within 50 years of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969).