© Flickr User: wotjek gurak

As part of the1929 International Exposition in Barcelona Spain, the Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Mies van der Rohe, was the display of architecture’s modern movement to the world.  Originally named the German Pavilion, the pavilion was the face of Germany after WWI, emulating the nation’s progressively modern culture that was still rooted in its classical history. Its elegant and sleek design combined with rich natural material presented Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion as a bridge into his future career, as well as architectural modernism.

More on the Barcelona Pavilion after the break. read more »

We are headed to the windy city of Chicago for this weeks Architecture City Guide series.  Jam packed with architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, here are our 12 recommendations if you are visiting Chicago.  Head to the comment section and share your recommendations for additional buildings to include on our list!

The Architecture City Guide: Chicago list and corresponding map after the break!

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Houston is our focus this week for our Architecture City Guide series.  We know Houston is packed with lots of great architecture so we are expecting to hear about your can’t miss buildings in the comment section below.  Remember this list is intended to be added to by you, our readers.  We will be updating our Architecture City Guides in the future to reflect your suggested buildings to visit.

Follow the break for our Houston list and corresponding map!

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The Lumenhaus in Chicago via Metropolis

Since the 1950s, Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House has rested peacefully in a cornfield in Plano, Illinois.  Now, the house will be getting a new neighbor – VirginiaTech’s winning Solar Decathlon residence, Lumenhaus (be sure to check out our previous coverage of the house here). As the name suggests, the residence focuses on maximizing the exposure to natural light (Lumen meaning power of light), and in terms of aesthetics, the house also pays homage to the BauHaus movement.

More about the Lumenhaus after the break. read more »

Hagen Stier

The Mies van der Rohe Society recently released their newly designed website.   Some of the features we like are the detailed building biographies, sketches, models, 3D renderings, and photographs that showcase the buildings Mies designed.

In addition, when you visit the site you can:

• Browse the titles on Mies’ bookshelf and read his speeches
• Track progress on building restoration efforts and support the organization by becoming members
• Sign up for architectural tours at IIT
• Shop
• Register for events, such as Mies’ 125th birthday party scheduled for March 28, 2011
• Learn about exhibits, lectures, and performances at S.R. Crown Hall

© flickr: nickmilleruk

The Architecture City Guide series is back, this week featuring New York City.  Grab a scarf and hat and hit the streets to check out some of the great architecture that NYC has to offer.  Think we left something out?  Add your can’t miss NYC buildings to our comments below.

Follow the break for our New York City list and a corresponding map!

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© flickr: joshbousel

Welcome to the Architecture City Guide series.  Here at ArchDaily we thought this series could especially be put to use during the upcoming holiday season.  Many will be traveling to see family, having family visit, or taking a New Year’s vacation to a new city.  Here is a small City Guide list, starting with Washington D.C.

We want to hear from you, share with us your City Guide list for buildings in Washington D.C.  More cities to come, so be sure to check back.

Follow the break for our Washington D.C. list and a corresponding map!

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© Hagen Stier - Crown Hall

More on the IIT Campus and Buildings after the break.

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Greg Robbins

 More on the Farnsworth House after the break. 

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A few months ago we reported on the restoration of Mies van der Rohe’s 860-880 Lake Shore Drive by Krueck & Sexton Architects, but still, taking a second look at this project is important to show its significance in the field of architecture. Built between 1949-1951, the 860-880 Lake Shore Drive towers by Mies van der Rohe are two iconic skyscrapers on the Chicago skyline that redefined highrise living for the post-war generation. The 26-story towers border Lake Michigan, giving residents a beautiful waterfront view. Mies’ reason for the scheme involved his concept that architecture should be independent of the site, and the towers did indeed follow their own rules by being the first step towards the industrialization of architecture.

More on 860-880 Lake Shore Drive after the break.

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Located in the heart of New York City, the Seagram Building designed by Mies van der Rohe epitomizes elegance and the principles of modernism. The 38-story building on Park Avenue was Mies’ first attempt at tall office building construction. Mies’ solution set a standard for the modern skyscraper. The building became a monumental continuity of bronze and dark glass climbing up 515 feet to the top of the tower, juxtaposing the large granite surface of the plaza below.

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Two of the most iconic projects from the modern movement built in the US take part in a play by June Finfer, directed by Evan Bergman. The design and building of Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and Philip Johnson’s Glass House is the background for the penetrating dramatic plot that entwines the epic conflict between artist and patron. The Glass House explores the classic struggle of ambition, love and betrayal.

Post Performance Talks by Paul Goldberger (Architectural Critic and Author), Barry Bergdoll (MoMA), Annabelle Selldorf (Architect), Christy MacLear (Executive Director of Philip Johnson Glass House), Dietrich Neumann (Architectural Educator), Whitney French (Executive Director of Farnsworth House) and Barry Wood (Architect).

Dates and more info after the break. read more »

© William Zbaren

Location: 860-880 Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Original Architect: Mies van der Rohe
Original Completion Date: 1951
Restoration Architect: Krueck & Sexton Architects
Restoration Completion Date: 2009
Client: 860-880 Condominium Association
Photos: William Zbaren

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Guillermo Hevia Garcia took this nice pictures of the Neue National Gallery in Berlin, by Mies van der Rohe. This building is from 1968, and it´s a jump from the traditional museum idea of a closed building with exhibition rooms, into an open-plan flexible space.

The building is 64.8m long, with only 2 steel columns on each side, which free the corners giving the building a lightweight look. A very “Mies” building, with a clear and radical idea put on a very minimal, yet detailed structure.

This is the first non-contemporary building we have published so far on ArchDaily. Would you like to see more articles like this?

More pictures below.

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