Mies van der Rohe: The villas and country houses

This detailed and carefully reasoned study of the domestic architecture of Mies van der Rohe is a landmark contribution to contemporary understanding of the great architect's work. It is devoted to a close analysis of Mies' residential architecture, built and unbuilt, from 1923 to 1951. Many of its conclusions are pertinent to the whole of Mies' output. The book presents penetrating discussions of both the Concrete and the Brick Country House projects, two of the famous Five Projects of the 1920s which made Mies' early reputation; and, among others, the Lange and Esters Houses of 1927-1930; the Barcelona Pavilion and Tugendhat House of 1928-1930; and, in America, plans for a house in Wyoming for the Stanley Resors, and the Farnsworth House of 1946-1951. The analysis and the illustrations demonstrate a continuous development toward realization of the goal Mies himself described: "To bring Nature, houses and people into a higher unity." The original German language edition accompanied an exhibition organized by the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld, in conjunction with the Mies van der Rohe Archive of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, on the occasion of the public opening of the restored Lange and Esters Houses, now owned by the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum. All of the works exhibited are reproduced in this volume. Dr. Tegethoff's text, based on extensive research in the Mies Archive and other sources, brings to light much new information on the origins of Mies's ideas, his working methods and relationships with clients, as well as the actual planning and structure of the houses. Wolf Tegethoff is a member of the faculty of the Kunsthistorische Institut of the University of Kiel, Germany.