Born Ludwig Mies in 1886, Aachen; his mother's family name, Van der Rohe, he later appended.
Apprenticed under his father (Mies) as a stonemason; he never academically trained as architect. Post WWI; a contemporary of Walter Gropius, worked under various Berlin architecture firms. Architect; Berlin 1918-1937; then Chicago, where he died in 1969. Design philosophy: "Driving to the Essence of Things". Designed a chair (for Barcelona '29); thin steel frame, very comfortable, very famous, often copied.
The aphorism "Less Is More" is, by superficial scribes, ascribed to both (Ludwig) Mies Van der Rohe and R. Buckminster Fuller; both did exemplify its concept, in their respective designs. However, if M.V.d.R. or B.F. ever laid claim to coining the phrase, well .. then they were just "Embracing And Extending" or "innovating". The phrase, in English-language literature, dates to an 1855 poem by Browning; which poesy puts it on the lips of painter Andrea del Sarto (actual historical figure; 1486-1531).
Did a lot of work on Charles Center in Baltimore so his work feels right at home with me. -David Brantley
a mies software is also available, it's called Mies For All
www.erational.org
See other great architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier.
See original on c2.com 