The Influence of De Stijl Abstraction and Rationalism on Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall

U21321-16YR History and Theory of Architecture (220) Student Number: UP778131

THE INFLUENCE OF DE STIJL ABSTRACTION AND RATIONALISM ON MIES VAN DER ROHE'S CROWN HALL (1000 Word Essay)

THE INFLUENCE OF DE STIJL ABSTRACTION AND RATIONALISM ON

MIES VAN DER ROHE'S CROWN HALL

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Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe was commissioned to design the entire campus at both an urban and architectural scale at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1938.

Crown Hall was the last building completed before his tenure ended as director for the School of Architecture in 1958. The grand hall is a refinement of Mies' structural exploration and architectural methodology.

Rational ideals underpin Crown Hall's structure and proportions whereas De Stijl abstraction reduces the interior encapsulating Mies' ideas of architectural theory.

The Grid System Mies' scheme at the Illinois campus exemplifies structural rationalism because it regulates internal and external volumes based on a grid system. The grid dimension is proportionate to the educational requirements of the brief resulting in uncompromised functionality. By using a reverse planning order like the grid system (Figure 1) all spaces can accommodate the furniture they require whether a classroom, drafting room or laboratory room. Johnson (1978, p. 131) argues by "sliding adjacent units past one another" Mies has created exterior spaces that "combine the intimacy of the courts say, at Oxford, with the clarity of a classically arranged campus such as Jefferson's University of Virginia." Likewise, grid symmetry regulates the spatial order at Illinois however, buildings can move freely along the grid. Unlike, axially grouped plans there are no enclosed exterior spaces allowing people to move freely as well. This concept for movement can be developed further because the repeated grid can be interpreted as a rational language for navigation. Knowledge of one space prompts an intuitive response to what another space on the grid could inhabit.

Hilberseimer (1956, p. 127) deems Crown Hall an "architectural accentuation" of the urban plan because the concept of free movement is advanced by applying the structure to the grid on a larger scale (Figure 2). Thus, there is no need for internal supports creating an open space with

freedom of movement and function.

On the other hand, Blaser (2001, p.19) infers that Crown Hall is "Mies' first use of unclassical, or pre-classical symmetry" because the structural composition strikes parallels with pre-classical temples (Figure 3). This suggests Crown Hall was preclassical architecture actualised for the modern day which is significant because this reference to Vitruvian ideals substantiates Mies' own refinement of rationalism.

Outer Shell Blake (1963, p. 34) states methods used

by Mies to represent his projects were "strongly reminiscent of the graphic means developed by De Stijl artists" however this approach is embodied in Crown Hall's structure not just the drawings. The De Stijl movement distanced itself from realistic representations of the world. Instead De Stijl abstraction reduced objects down to points, lines and planes to understand their true essence. This has been captured through the structural components which form the steel skeleton of Crown Hall. By varying the thickness of beams, columns and mullions then projecting structural elements Mies reveals the mechanics of the frame just like Theo van Doesburg's, Rhythm of a Russian dance (Figures 4a and 4b).

In contrast, Johnson (1978, p. 138) considers the rational configuration of the structural elements likening them to those "of a Gothic cathedral." Crown Hall transcends "Berlage's theory of structural honesty to a logical extreme" exposing the structure both inside and outside.

This resonates a deeper relationship with classical rationalism because the design is conceived "in terms of steel channels, I-beams and H-Columns, just as a medieval design is conceived in terms of stone vaults and buttresses." Vitally all contemporary industrial structures mirror the structural frame devised at Crown Hall because "for 

Figure 1: Diagram in plan showing the Illinois Campus grid system and the positioning of Crown Hall (Primary Source)

Figure 2: Diagram showing the structural support intervals within Crown Hall which increased to 60 feet fro 24 feet (Primary Source)

Figure 3: Diagram comparing the symmetrical composition of Crown Hall with pre-classical temples (Primary Source)

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Figure 4a: Composition in Gray (ARTstor digital library - Theo Van Doesburg, 1918)

Figure 4b: Watercolour of Crown Hall in the style of Theo van Doesburg showing the thickness of different structural elements (Primary Source)

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the first time a large-glass walled, column free space" (Blaser, 2001, p. 9) was realised permitting timeless functionality.

The hall without interior support Blaser (2001, p. 56) describes Crown Hall as "a place where students can feel at home, where the sophisticatedly calm aesthetics call them back to the essential in architecture." Johnson (1978, p. 16) credits Berlage's structural honesty "namely, that those parts of a building resembling supports should actually support and, conversely, that all the supporting elements should be evident." This creates a space devoid of decoration where emptiness allows focus. The structural mechanics and building function are implied through De Stijl abstraction. It is up to the students however, to formulate their own creative and meaningful perceptions on how they should engage with the space.

The interior De Stijl abstraction filters through to Crown Hall's interior as a means of representing Heidegger's "open region." Chang and Swenson (Blaser, 2001, p. 21) refer to the "white plane of the ceiling and gray terrazzo floor plane" as defining "the great light-flooded space." This can be likened to the white space which surrounds De Stijl artwork because the structural frame is surrounded by largely uninterrupted white space apart from a "transient sea of student drafting tables." Furthermore,

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the lower sandblasted glass walls mask exterior views at ground level which creates some sense of privacy albeit in an entirely open hall of grand proportions. Chang and Swenson (Blaser, 2001, p. 21) suggest an "imaginary plane" is implied by this translucent glass band and the low partition walls. This defines "a "quotidian zone" in which the familiar everyday activities of teaching and learning occur." Above this is a zone Chang and Swenson (Blaser, 2001, p. 21) identify as Heidegger's "open region."

When struggling with Miesian architecture, students can escape to the surrounding trees and sky which fill the exterior view of this upper volume. Heidegger's concept for the "open region" was a space where the mind can thrive stemming from Heraclitus' "A man's character is his daimon" (Blaser, 2001, p. 17). After many years infatuated

by Heidegger this upper volume must be an insightful learning tool designed for Mies' students. This idea can be substantiated because Chang and Swenson (Blaser, 2001, p. 21) recognise the exterior view from the upper volume as a "provocative inversion of Heidegger's "Lichtung" or "forest clearing", with its dark walls of trees and luminous sky above." This differentiates from the rational language of which the building has been conceived with more figurative ideas. In many ways, the upper volume is reminiscent of an illusionistic ceiling painting of the Baroque period. It inhabits a large intangible volume of the interior which can only be viewed from below. Furthermore, it invites students to search for the truth based on

Heidegger's ideas and the struggle for the truth is personified in the design because you cannot physically inhabit this space.

Mies' language for modern architecture is suggested to the students through Crown Hall. The structural composition and materiality references the Vitruvian triad developed by Berlage which advocates design as a process of strength, utility and beauty. Mies (Blaser, 2001, p. 44) implements what he described as a "spiritual order" at Crown Hall embodied by the two contrasting working levels. The lower functions as a free space to design through physical craft while the upper level invites students to go on a figurative journey of thought and design. Mies' pursuit of structural possibility enables the structure and interior to convey the same monumentality as the pre-classical buildings reinforcing his architectural language.

Figure 5: Interior Perspective Section showing the Zone of the "Open Region" (Mies van der Rohe: Crown Hall: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, the Department of Architecture - PaoChi Chang, 2000)

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Bibliography: Blake, P. (1963). Mies van der Rohe: architecture and structure. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Blaser, W. (2001). Mies van der Rohe: Crown Hall: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, the Department of Architecture. Basel; Boston; Berlin: Birkhauser.

Cohen, J. (1996). Mies van der Rohe. London: Spon.

Hilberseimer, L. (1956). Mies van der Rohe.

Chicago: Paul Theobald and Co. Johnson, P. (1978). Mies van der Rohe. London: Secker & Warburg.

Perez, A. (2010). AD Classics: IIT Master Plan and Buildings/ Mies van der Rohe. Retrieved from http://www.archdaily.com/59816/ad-classics-iitmaster-plan-and-buildings-mies-van-der-rohe Images: Cover Image: IIT, Crown Hall | Chicago, IL | Mies van der Rohe - Pete Sieger (2012). Retrieved from Flickr webpage: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ peterjsieger/7686857238/ Figure 4a: Composition in Gray - Theo van Doesburg (1919). Retrieved from the ARTstor website: http://library.artstor.org/library/secure/ ViewImages?id=8D1Cdjk4RDUwLi07eTxzT3g%3D Figure 5: Interior Perspective Section showng the Zone of the "Open Region" by Pao-Chi Chang (Mies van der Rohe: Crown Hall: Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, the Department of Architecture, 2000, Page 6-7)

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