Mies Van Der Rohe At Work [Paperback]

Peter Carter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 1999

A document of Mies van der Rohe's philosophy of architecture, his way of working and his rigorous teaching methodology. The text examines, through statistics, photographs and detailed drawings, the most illustrious buildings of the architect's career. Author Peter Carter, who studied and later worked with Mies for 13 years, began the book while an associate with Mies van der Rohe's firm. Mies' structural and spatial concepts are analyzed through his three major building prototypes, specifically the skeleton frame building, both in it high- and low-rise manifestations, and the clear span buildings.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This paperback reprint of a book initially published in 1974 delves into the ideology behind many of Mies van der Rohe's most famous architectural marvels, including the Seagram Building in New York City and the Lake Shore Drive Apartments in Chicago. Van der Rohe, father of the glass and steel modernist skyscraper, affected his field more dramatically than most of his contemporaries. From his earliest years as an apprentice architect in Germany in the first decade of the 20th century, van der Rohe pursued a clear set of ideals about the nature of building. Peter Carter, a student of and later staff architect for van der Rohe, guides readers through his mentor's commitment to structure as the determining factor of form and architecture as an illustration of its civilization. It may seem old hat to today's readers that form follows function, but the notion was very avant-garde during the middle of the century, when van der Rohe was at his height. The book is filled with photographs, building statistics, architectural drawings, and models that paint a clear picture of the philosophy behind these buildings that are such emblems of grace and strength. Quotes from van der Rohe himself--peppered throughout--are particularly insightful: "It is often thought that heaviness is synonymous with strength. In my opinion it is just the opposite." From his high-rise skeleton-frame buildings to landscaping to private homes, this truth is borne out. Mies van der Rohe at Work is perfectly suited for an aficionado of the great architect's work and readers who want to look at and read about great buildings. [192 pages, 300 black-and-white illustrations and biographical chronology] --J.P. Cohen

From the Publisher

A document of Mies van der Rohe's philosophy of architecture, his way of working and his rigorous teaching methodology. The text examines, through statistics, photographs and detailed drawings, the most illustrious buildings of the architect's career. Author Peter Carter, who studied and later worked with Mies for 13 years, began the book while an associate with Mies van der Rohe's firm. Mies' structural and spatial concepts are analyzed through his three major building prototypes, specifically the skeleton frame building, both in it high- and low-rise manifestations, and the clear span buildings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (September 16, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714838969
• ISBN-13: 978-0714838960
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,651 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Technical Analysis of Mies's Architecture, February 17, 2000

By 

Edward B. Driscoll, Jr. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mies Van Der Rohe At Work (Paperback)

Peter Carter, who studied under Mies at IIT, wrote this book in the early 70s, shortly after Mies died. It's been long out of print, and I paid dearly to get a copy of the original version, shortly before this rerelease was announced. A lot has happened in architecture since it was written and yet Mies's best work still shines as brightly. For anyone with an interest in Mies in particular, or modern architecture in general, whether as a professional or layman, this is a must-have book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Copiously illustrated survey of 31 projects, and more..., January 18, 2005

By 

Eugene Tenenbaum "reluctant reader" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mies Van Der Rohe At Work (Paperback)

This copiously illustrated survey of all the major buildings and projects on 192 pages measuring 11.50 x 9.88 inches includes 31 listed projects, several chapters illustrated with additional projects, 400 B&W illustrations, mostly photos, but also technical ones (plans, sections, details, elevations, etc.), 33 pages with educational notes, biographical chronology, etc. A few photos are too big, i.e. do not have enough content for their size, and a few details are too small, simply not legible enough, and inferior to those included in the bilingual "Mies Van der Rohe (Studio Paperback)" by Werner Blaser published under ISBN: 3764356197, though in a smaller format, but with some illustrations more legible.
CONTENTS:
PREFACE 6
1. INTRODUCTION 7
2. STRUCTURAL AND SPATIAL CONCEPTS
Three projects:
Introduction 15
Glass Skyscraper 18
Concrete Office Building 18
Brick Country House 18
Two seminal buildings:
Introduction 20
Barcelona Pavilion 22
Tugendhat House 26
Projects 1931-8:
Introduction 28
Court Houses 28
Resor House 30
Brussels Pavilion 32
Structiural and spatial concepts-summary 34
3. THREE BUILDING TYPES
Introduction 37
High-rise skeleton frame buildings:
Introduction 38
Office buildings 40
Apartment buildings 44
Three skin solutions 46
Scale 50
860 Lake Shore Drive Apartments 52
Commonwealth Promenade Apartments 56
Colonnade Apartments 58
Seagram Building 60
Toronto Dominion Bank Tower 64
U.S. Courthouse and Federal Office Building 68
Low-rise skeleton frame buildings:
Introduction 70
Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering Building at I.I.T 72
The Commons at I.I.T 74
Library and Administration Building 76
Clear span buildings:
Introduction 78
Farnsworth House 82
Crown Hall at I.I.T 86
National Theatre, Mannheim 92
National Gallery, Berlin 94
Convention Hall 100
Structure, Materials and Detailing 108
Three building types-summary 110
(including a note on building costs)
4. URBAN SPACES
Introduction 113
Illinois Institute of Technology-A Campus in the City 114
860 Lake Shore Drive Apartments 118
Lafayette Park 120
Seagram Building 126
Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Des Moines 130
Chicago Federal Center 132
Toronto-Dominion Centre 136
Westmount Square 142
A New City Square and Office Tower in The City of London 146
Plaza detailing 152
Landscaping 154
Urban spaces-summary 156
5. EDUCATION OF ARCHITECTS 159
6. CONCLUSION 171
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 174
BUILDINGS AND PROJECTS 186
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 190
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 190
CATALOGUE OF ILLUSTRATIONS 191
INDEX 192

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A clear, exact and percipient M.v.d.R. document!, March 9, 2003

By 

Spyridon Kaprinis (Thessaloniki , GREECE.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mies Van Der Rohe At Work (Paperback)

It is an excellent and appropriately illustrated paperback, in the format of an oeuvre complete.Eschewing flashy graphics, this book provides information about Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's built work & projects in a clearly laid out manner, with b&w photographs, plans, sections, elevations, perspective drawings and sketches - combined with concise & straightforward text.Instead of passionate theorising and rich intellectualising, this Phaidon 1999 paperback reprint emphasizes upon Mies van der Rohe's way of work and his essential canon of absolute spareness and strong contours... A truly indispensable book for every architect and scholar!