Modernist Collection - Issue 1 by modernistcollection

Issue 1, Spring 2022

Mies Forever.

F U R N I T U R E

•

L I G H T I N G

•

F L O O R

T E X T I L E S

•

O U T D O O R

F U R N I T U R E

Block Sofa, MUT Design 2

Representing the most iconic designs and innovative brands, created by visionary designers around the world. www.apartmentzero.com 3

From the Editor Welcome to the new journal of 20th-century modern design.

Modernist Design News + Events Avant-garde Soviet film posters; Vintage Florence Knoll furniture design; Ninety years of Pininfarina automotive design; Jacqueline Groag’s 1960s textile design; Roy Kuhlman’s modernist book covers.

Richard Neutra’s John Nesbitt House A striking mix of 1940s modernism and rusticity for a radio star in Los Angeles.

Special Section: Mies van der Rohe The bright light of International-Style architecture developed a refined version of Bauhaus functionalism. Join us as we explore his design thinking and marvel at his brilliant projects from around the world.

Edith Farnsworth House How a modestly-sized cabin in the woods changed the history of architecture forever.

Chicago Federal Center Simplicity and transparency: this three-building downtown complex signified a new era for public architecture.

Mies: The Vintage Lens In the mid-20th century, Mies’ projects in the United States and Europe were immortalized by some of the era’s greatest photographers.

Barcelona Pavilion A visual poem of stone and glass: is this the world’s most beautiful building?

Mies Marketplace Living with the Modernist master’s works and ideas.

Raphael Soriano: Richard Strauss House In 1940, a student of Richard Neutra built a warmly minimalist house for a Los Angeles musician.

Issue 1, Spring 2022 modernistcollection.com Cover: The Edith Farnsworth House, designed by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1945-51. Left: 1974 “Flamingo” sculpture by Alexander Calder at Federal Center Plaza in Chicago. The John C. Kluczynski Federal Building was designed by architect Mies van der Rohe. Photos by Carol M. Highsmith/Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

e e Fr

w no e ib cr s b Su

t. os c no at

Subscribe. Modernist Collection is the new digital magazine celebrating 20th-century architecture & design. Sign up now to get each issue delivered to your inbox for free.

FREE

Click here to subscribe

Docomomo DC is dedicated to preserving and protecting the area’s brilliant examples of modern architecture, landscape and design. Join us for tours, educational talks, and social events. www.docomomo-dc.org

Uptatem dolorum derum iumquis volorer ionsent rereprae. Turit min re et magnihi tassecabo. Ovitat odisquas inctiumquam nistinim idenest iatecer umquas restiestille.

The National Gallery of Art East Building, I.M. Pei, 1978 Photo by Lee Ewing / National Gallery of Art

From the Editor

Publisher Modernist Collection, LLC Editor & Design Director Robert King robertkingdesign.com

Robert King Editor / Design Director www.robertkingdesign.com

Photo Editor Laura McAllister Legacy Photography Carol M. Highsmith Balthazar Korab Julius Shulman Editorial Assistance Mark Gonzalez

elcome to the premiere issue of Modernist Collection! A few months ago I was with some modernism-loving friends and we were discussing the unfortunate lack of a magazine focusing on the breadth of 20th century Modernism — not just architecture and furniture, but also graphic design, photography, painting, ceramics, and so on. And so we decided to start a magazine of our own that celebrates all of that. The astonishing variety of creative output from the mid-century Modernist movement, across the world, is still so inspiring — and we’re here for it.

We support architectural preservation and we value authenticity. We want to celebrate original designs, not focus solely on present-day reinterpretations.

email address to: info@modernistcollection.com Advertising For ad rates and technical specifications, please email us at: info@modernistcollection.com Contact Information Modernist Collection 600 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite 15194 Washington, DC 20003

One of the best ways of doing that is unearthing and restoring vintage architectural photography, which is a window into the past like no other. There is no better way to see the original architectural vision exactly as the architect intended, with the appropriate finishes and furnishings of the era. Toward that end, we’ve been doing extensive research at the Library of Congress and some of the world’s largest photography archives. We’ve discovered many intriguing photos that we’ve digitally restored, and the results are spectacular. Check out our features on Richard Neutra’s 1941 John Nesbitt House on page 24, and Raphael Soriano’s 1940 Strauss House on page 90.

Email us at: info@modernistcollection.com Website and photography sales: modernistcollection.com Unless otherwise indicated, the cover and

We’re a small start-up and we hope you’ll help us keep this new publication going — tell your modernism-loving friends about it, mention it on your social media accounts, and sign up for a free subscription here: modernistcollection.com.

contents of Modernist Collection are fully protected by copyright and may not be

Thank you and enjoy!

reproduced in any manner without written consent.

Spring 2022

“A rolling sculpture.” The 1947 202 Coupe is considred one of the most beautifullydesigned cars of the 20th century. See page 14. “A rolling sculpture.” The 1947 202 Coupe is considered one of the most beautifully-designed cars of the 20th century. Photo by Ted7. See page 13. 11

Sightings F I N E A RT: S C U L P T U R E

Abid Javed’s Science-Inspired Ceramics Abid Javed is a research scientist and ceramic artist who lives and works in London. He combines his two passions of science and ceramics to create impressive sculptural forms inspired by molecular biology. These structures are further influenced by ornate Arabic symbolism and script, stemming from the artist’s culturallyrich heritage. The resulting objects—each one hand-formed and unique— are the product of this unlikely yet beautiful pairing. “The more my scientific understanding develops,” says Javed, “that also informs the development of my work in ceramics as well.” www.abidjaved.org

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

M U S E U M E X H I B I T : N E W YO R K

Utopian Avant-Garde: 1920s Soviet Film Posters When the nascent Soviet government embraced cinema as the best means of propaganda, a group of talented young designers emerged to create a new Soviet visual culture in the form of strikingly modern film posters. A fascinating exhibit at New York’s Poster House museum showcases the dynamically experimental film posters that papered Soviet streets with bold new forms and arresting imagery. www.posterhouse.org February 25–August 21, 2022 Far left: Stenberg Bros. 1929; Left: Alexander Rodchenko, 1926

M U S E U M E X H I B I T: LO S A N G E L E S

Twentieth Century Italian Automotive Design: 90 Years of Pininfarina During the 1920s, Italian auto design firm Pininfarina created some of the most admired coachwork of the era on chassis ranging from the prestigious Rolls-Royce to the workaday Fiat. The design house’s best-known early achievement was the aerodynamic 1947 Cisitalia, which was acclaimed by critics as a work of art signaling a new direction in automotive styling. Petersen Automotive Museum Through July 17, 2022 www.petersen.org 1947 Cisitalia 202 Coupe Photo by Ted7

Sightings FURNITURE DESIGN

Florence Knoll’s Restrained Elegance Mid-century design icon Florence Knoll was known for creating understated, sophisticated furniture for home and office. This 1960s sofa with attached blondewood table is beautiful from every angle, like a piece of modernist sculpture. The sofa has been expertly restored by City Furniture, a superbly-curated online design gallery based in Antwerp, Belgium. city-furniture.be • Upholstery by Cover&Couch Photography by City Furniture / Lenz Vermeulen

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

Sightings M U S E U M E X H I B I T: G E R M A N Y

Plastic: Remaking Our World This exhibit at the Vitra Design Museum offers a thoughtful examination of the history and future of plastic— from its meteoric rise in the twentieth century, to its detrimental environmental impact, and finally to cuttingedge solutions for more sustainable versions of the material. Exhibits include rarities from the dawn of the plastic age and objects of the pop era, as well as numerous contemporary designs focusing on waste reduction and sustainability. Vitra Design Museum, Germany www.design-museum.de • Through Sept. 9, 2022

M U S E U M E X H I B I T : PA L M S P R I N G S

Pattern Play: The Textile Designs of Jacqueline Groag Jacqueline Groag (British, born Prague, 1903–1986) was one of the most influential and versatile pattern designers of the post-war era. Whether abstract or representational, her avant-garde and naively charming patterns for textiles, dress fabrics, wallpaper, and laminates helped define the popular “Contemporary” style and exerted a farreaching influence on British design. Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center www.psmuseum.org Through Nov. 20, 2022 Left: 1966 textile design by Jacqueline Groag 16

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

PH OTO G RA PH Y G A L L E RY

Vintage Architectural Photography from the Modernist Collection This 1962 photo by Balthazar Korab beautifully captures Eero Saarinen’s extraordinary vision for the TWA Flight Center in New York— a structure that still looks futuristic today, more than five decades later. The Modernist Collection is an online art gallery offering archival-quality photographic prints, custom framed and ready to hang. modernistcollection.com

Sightings FURNISHINGS

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

Sculpta-Grille Architectural Screen In 1958, engineer-turned-designer Richard Harvey conceived of a lightweight, yet durable, plastic decorative architectural screen he called Sculpta-Grille. The modular design, which seems organic and futuristic at the same time, creates visual patterns that change based on how light is falling on it or where the viewer is standing. Even the shadows it casts are intriguing. During the 1960s, architects and builders used Sculpta-Grille to add an element of modernist flair to banks, movie theaters, and even churches. Today, Sculpta-Grille has been rediscovered by

collectors and has been added to the permanent collection at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. The increasingly rare vintage examples of Sculpta-Grille sell at auctions for thousands of dollars. Fortunately for lovers of modern design, Sculpta-Grille has been brought back into production by modern furnishings firm Modernica, as pictured here. Each Sculpta-Grille is custom-built in the Los Angeles area, and can be customized to fit your specific space and style. modernica.net

Sightings GRAPHIC DESIGN

Roy Kuhlman’s Modernist Book Covers These gorgeous gems of 20th-century Modernism are the work of American graphic designer Roy Kuhlman (1923–2007). He is best known for the innovative book covers he designed for Grove Press, the iconic publisher of controversial and avant-garde literature by authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, and William Burroughs. Kuhlman was one of the first people to apply Abstract Expressionist concepts to graphic design. Instead of using conventionally representative illustrations, Kuhlman created jazzlike improvisational compositions that combined color, pattern, and expressive shapes. His abstract book jackets were eye-catching and posterlike, designed to draw attention to the books on the shelves. The online archive of his work is a fascinating time capsule of mid-20th century avant-garde visual culture. Pictured: Book covers by Roy Kuhlman, 1948-1960. roykuhlman.com

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

Sightings F I N E A R T : PA I N T I N G

Above: Installation view, John Opper, Berry Campbell, New York, 2018., Courtesy Berry Campbell, New York. Left: John Opper (1908-1994), Brown Dominant, 1968–69 , Acrylic on canvas, 54 x 48 in. (137.2 x 121.9 cm), © Estate of John Opper, Courtesy Berry Campbell, New York

John Opper’s Mid-Century Abstraction Active as a painter for over six decades, John Opper’s intriguing canvases are distinguished by large, dynamicallyinterlocking planes of color. The New York Times wrote in 1958 that “Opper’s pictures are about the dramatic interaction of abstract forms; they are felt and moving.” His paintings have echoes of Mark Rothko and Hans Hofmann and have been described as a “contemplation of color for its own sake.” John Opper’s paintings are in numerous American museum collections, including MoMA and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. An impressive collection of his work is available for purchase through the Berry Campbell gallery in New York. berrycampbell.com 22

MODERNIST DESIGN NEWS + EVENTS

FURNITURE M U S E U M E X H I B I T : WA S H I N G T O N , D C

Paul McCobb Furniture Designs Are Back in Production at CB2 The multi-talented modernist Paul McCobb designed some of the top-selling furniture lines of the 1950s and 1960s. His creations are an intriguing mix of softness and angularity, and some of his pieces are being brought back into production as new generations discover his work. CB2 recently reissued several of his furniture and lighting designs at accessible prices. Pictured here is the dynamically angled Origami sofa, built with FSC-certified wood and offered in multiple upholstery options. CB2’s Paul McCobb collection includes tables, chairs, lighting, and outdoor furniture. www.cb2.com

E L E C T R O N I C S + AU D I O

Braun Speakers Live Again The ethos of ‘less is more’ originated with the Bauhaus movement and Mies van der Rohe, but it was Dieter Rams who refined and elevated this concept into ‘less but better.’ Rams consistently applied his timeless philosophy of functionalist minimalism to the dozens of products he designed for Braun during the 1950s and 1960s. Three of Rams’ sleekly sophisticated speaker designs have been re-released with updated technology and superb sound. braun-audio.com

Richard Neutra n 1942 n Los Angeles, California

Richard Neutra’s John Nesbitt House

ustrian-American architect Richard Neutra was one of the 20th Century’s brightest and most prolific modernists. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Neutra designed more than 200 homes, offices and churches, mostly in Southern California. Influenced by the California climate’s indoor-outdoor living, Neutra developed his own version of International Style architecture, which became known as “West Coast Modern.” In the early 1940s, Neutra was hired to design a house for John Nesbitt, a modern architecture aficionado who had previously owned Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Angeles. Nesbitt asked Neutra for a modern home on a halfacre wooded setting in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. John Nesbitt was a successful radio personality in the 1930s-1940s. He narrated a compelling news feature show called The Passing Parade, which combined straight journalism with radio drama techniques. A 1943 issue of Billboard Magazine named Nesbitt “Radio’s number one storyteller.” Neutra’s design for the Nesbitt House is an intriguing juxtaposition of urban sophistication and rustic simplicity – a house of rich textures and an intimate relationship with the outdoors. A rustic effect is achieved through the use of beamed ceilings, redwood walls, and brick floors that continue outside to form patios. Huge glass sliding doors can be opened to unite the house with the gardens. The home has multiple fireplaces and a separate guest house. A superb example of Richard Neutra’s architectural vision, the John Nesbitt House won a first place award from the American Institute of Architects in 1947. The house remains intact and largely unchanged today. 24

Photos by Julius Shulman

A mix of 1940s modernism and rusticity for a radio star in Los Angeles 25

Left: Exposed beams throughout the house and the roughly-surfaced brick of the fireplaces create a feeling of rusticity that is largely absent in Neutra’s later projects. Right: Continuous horizontal bands of windows are a hallmark of Neutra’s work throughout his prolific career.

The same brick that forms the patio continues into the house to form the interior flooring – a technique that unifies the indoor and outdoor spaces. 29

Indoor and outdoor dining areas are adjacent to a semi-open kitchen with plywood cabinetry. (Note the streamlined 1940s refrigerator.) The two dining tables are designed to fit together so they can be combined to accommodate larger groups.

Above: Neutra designed his now-famous Boomerang Chair for the Nesbitt House. Two versions are seen here – with arms and without. Right: The Nesbitt House’s dramatic entrance is a composition of minimalist forms and richly textured materials.

Mies. 34

One of the brightest lights of Modernism, German-born American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created a body of work–ranging from tubular steel furniture to iconic skyscrapers–that influenced generations of architects around the world. From intimate domestic spaces like the Edith Farnsworth House, to massive office towers like New York’s Seagram Building, he infused his buildings with a refined spatial harmony reflecting his oft-quoted maxim that “less is more.”

“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space.” Mies van der Rohe

Barcelona Pavilion, 1929 37

“Architecture is a language. When you are very good, you can be a poet.” Mies van der Rohe

Edith Farnsworth house, 1948 39

“I don’t want to be interesting. I want to be good.” Mies van der Rohe

Toronto-Dominion Centre, 1967 41

Edith Farnsworth House Mies van der Rohe n 1948-1952 n Plano, Illinois

How a modestly-sized weekend retreat changed the history of architecture forever.

hen it was completed in 1951, no one had ever seen anything quite like the elegantly minimalist Farnsworth House. Designed by internationallyfamous architect Mies van der Rohe, the glass-and-steel structure’s modern classicism epitomized the International Style of architecture and Mies’s dictum that “less is more.” Located on a wooded site overlooking the Fox River, the Farnsworth House is one of only three houses built by Mies in the United States. The striking architecture invites nature in through continuous glass walls and is gracefully anchored to the forest floor by slender steel beams. The simplicity of the design, precise detailing, and thoughtfully-chosen materials made this innovative building stand out from the mass of lesssophisticated modern architecture of its time.

The history of an architectural icon In 1945, Edith Farnsworth was a physician and medical professor when she met Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at a dinner party. The wealthy client wanted to build a special work of modern architecture on a wooded, riverfront parcel of land she had purchased to use as a weekend retreat. Farnsworth eventually hired Mies to design her new house, and he also acted as the project’s general contractor. There has been speculation that Mies and Farnsworth also had a romantic relationship, but neither spoke of this publicly and Farnsworth never mentioned it in the extensive memoirs she wrote in later years. Mies designed his masterwork for Farnsworth, and construction was essentially completed in 1951, with the project’s cost totaling $74,000 ($734,635 in today’s dollars). Late in the house’s construction process, the project went significantly over budget and Mies and Farnsworth sued each other over financial disagreements. They never spoke to each other again, although Edith lived in the house as a weekend retreat for the next 20 years. In 1971, Edith sold the house to British property magnate and architecture aficionado Peter Palumbo. He updated some of the house’s mechanical systems and furnished the house with Mies designs from Knoll, as well as some commissioned pieces designed by Mies’ grandson, a Chicago architect named Dirk Lohan. After owning the property for 31 years, Palumbo put the property up for auction in 2003, raising serious concerns that the home’s new owner might move the house to another part of the country or make significant changes to the building’s design. Preservationists and contributors from around the world began a concerted preservation and fundraising effort to keep the house intact and on its original site. With this financial support, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois were able to purchase the house in December 2003 for a reported $7.5 million. Now operated as a house museum, the Farnsworth House is open to the public for tours, exhibits and educational programs.

The striking architecture invites nature in through continuous glass walls and is gracefully anchored to the forest floor by slender steel beams.

An innovative design The essential characteristics of the house are immediately apparent. The extensive use of floor-to-ceiling windows opens the interior to its natural surroundings to an extreme degree. Two distinctly expressed horizontal slabs, which form the roof and the floor, sandwich an open space for living. The slab edges are defined by exposed steel beams painted white. The house is elevated 5 feet 3 inches above a flood plain by eight steel columns. The horizontal slab ends extend beyond the column supports, creating cantilevers. A third floating slab, an attached terrace, acts as a transition between the living area and the ground. The house is accessed by two sets of wide steps connecting ground to terrace and then to porch. Single-space interiors The house’s interior appears to be a single open room, its space ebbing and flowing around a central wooden block containing a kitchen, bathroom, and fireplace block (called the “core”), which seems to be a separate house nesting within the larger glass house. The building is essentially one large room filled with freestanding elements that provide subtle differentiation within an open space, implied but not dictated: zones for sleeping, cooking, dressing, eating, and sitting. Very private areas such as toilets and mechanical rooms are enclosed within the core. Mies applied this space concept, with variations, to his later buildings, most notably at Crown Hall, his Illinois Institute of Technology campus masterpiece. The notion of a single room that can be freely used or zoned in any way, with flexibility to accommodate changing uses, free of interior supports, enclosed in glass and supported by a minimum of structural framing located at the exterior, is the architectural ideal that defines Mies’ American career. The Farnsworth House is significant as his first complete realization of this ideal, a prototype for his vision of what modern architecture in an era of technology should be. Integration with nature The Farnsworth House sits isolated on a floodplain that faces the Fox River, establishing the architect’s concept of simple living. Open views from all sides of the building help enlarge the living space area and aid flow between the living space and its natural surroundings.

Criticism and acclaim During the 1950s, the building’s design received high praise in the architectural press, resulting in swarms of uninvited visitors trespassing on the property to glimpse the latest Mies van der Rohe creation. But the Farnsworth House also became a prop in the country’s larger national social conflicts of the McCarthy era. The home’s minimalist architecture became a lightning rod for anti-modernist publications, exemplified in the April 1953 issue of House Beautiful, which attacked it as a “communistinspired effort” to supplant traditional American styles. Large areas of glass wall, flat roofs, an absence of ornament, and a perceived lack of traditional warmth and coziness were characteristics of the International Style that were particular talking points of attack. The poor energy efficiency of the Farnsworth House has been widely discussed as well. Farnsworth herself expressed dismay at the house’s poor temperature control and tendency to attract insects when illuminated at night. Nonetheless, the Farnsworth House has continued to receive critical acclaim as a masterpiece of the modernist style, and Mies went on to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to American architecture and culture. Architect and critic Philip Johnson openly confessed how he was inspired by the Farnsworth design in the construction of his own “Glass House” in New Canaan, Connecticut in 1949 as his personal residence. In the twentyfirst century, Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critics Paul Goldberger and Blair Kamin have both declared the house a masterpiece of modern architecture. Its timeless quality is reflected by the reverent fascination in the minimalist house shown by a new generation of design professionals and enthusiasts. The Edith Farnsworth House today The Farnsworth house was named a National Historic Landmark in 2006, after being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. In 2021, the New York Times named it as one of the 25 most significant works of architecture since World War II. The timeless brilliance of the Farnsworth House helped popularize modernism as a mainstream design style in the 1950s and 1960s, and it continues to captivate visitors and inspire new generations of architects today.

Above left: Mies’ 1927 mr chairs surround the dining table, which was built and designed by his grandson, Dirk Lohan. Left: The Edith Farnsworth house is elevated 5 feet 3 inches above a flood plain by eight steel columns, painted white. Two sets of wide steps lead to the terrace and then to porch. 47

Previous spread: The extensive use of floor-to-ceiling windows opens the interior to its natural surroundings. Above: The house’s interior appears to be a single, open room, its space ebbing and flowing around a central wooden core-like structure containing a kitchen, bathroom, and fireplace. Right: Autumnal views of the wooded setting from Mies’ 1927 Adjustable Chaise Lounge in the living room.

Previous spread: The building is essentially one large room filled with freestanding elements that provide subtle differentiation within an open space, implied but not dictated: zones for sleeping, cooking, dressing, eating, and sitting. This spread: In 2021, the New York Times named the Edith Farnsworth House as one of the 25 most significant works of architecture since World War II. Now operated as a house museum, the Edith Farnsworth House is open to the public for tours, exhibits and educational programs.

Chicago Federal Center Mies van der Rohe n 1974 n Chicago, Illinois

Simplicity and transparency: the Chicago Federal Center signified a new era for public architecture.

hunning the usual pomp and historicism of civic buildings, Chicago’s Federal Center is a bright light of 20th-century Modernism and an architectural icon for the city. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the late 1960s, the Federal Center consists of three buildings and an expansive open-air plaza. Elegantly simple, modern and refined, the steel and glass buildings exemplify the Miesian visual vocabulary. Its 1974 completion signified a new era in the form and function of public architecture. Three Visually Unified Buildings The Federal Center’s largest structure is the Kluczynski Federal Building, a skyscraper in the downtown Chicago Loop located at 230 South Dearborn Street. It is 562 feet tall and, along with the Mies-designed post office and plaza, stands on the site previously occupied by the Chicago Federal Building by the architect Henry Ives Cobb. The Federal Center’s other two buildings are the Loop Station Post Office and the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, all designed by Mies van der Rohe. The Organizing Grid The layout of the entire Federal Center is organized on a 28foot square grid pattern. The grid is clearly visible in the edges of the outdoor plaza’s granite paving stones, which continue into the buildings’ lobbies and up the sides of the lobby walls, creating visual unity among the three structures. Chicago’s Federal Center is similar to Mies’ earlier Toronto-Dominion Centre (see page 74) and was expanded in 1991 with the addition of the 28-story Metcalfe Federal Building to the south across Jackson Boulevard. Alexander Calder Sculpture The artistic centerpiece of the Federal Center is Flamingo, a 53-foot, red steel sculpture created by Alexander Calder in the early 1970s. The sculpture was conserved and restored in 1998. The plaza is also the site of a weekly farmers’ market during the spring and summer seasons, open to the community. Described by architecture critic Franz Schulze as “a monu– mental urban presence,” Chicago’s Federal Center has become a focal point of the city’s downtown architecture.

Left: The minimalist design of the Loop Station Post Office building is crafted from planes of wood, glass and terrazzo. Right: Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the late 1960s, the Federal Center consists of three buildings centered on an expansive open-air plaza.

Previous spread: the organic forms of Alexander Calder’s sculpture contrast beautifully with the rectilinear structure of Mies’ Federal Center.

This spread: Historical references and visual ornament are absent from Mies’ design for the Chicago Federal Center. These photos show the sophisticated simplicity of the Loop Post Office building, where floorto-ceiling windows open the space to the outdoor plaza, and a limited palette of materials (wood, stone, and steel) create an atmosphere of refinement and clarity.

Above: The all-glass exteriors of Mies’ Federal Center buildings result in an inviting transparency – the expanse of the city is visible through the building. Right: The artistic centerpiece of the Federal Center is Flamingo, a 53-foot, red steel sculpture created by Alexander Calder in the early 1970s.

The Vintage Lens Mies van der Rohe’s projects around the world were immortalized by some of the 20th century’s best photographers. These vintage photos are offered as high-quality photographic prints, custom-framed and ready to hang, by the Modernist Collection.

Seagram Building Phyllis Lambert, the daughter of Seagram’s ceo, persuaded her father to choose Mies van der Rohe as the architect for the company’s New York headquarters building that was being planned in the early 1950s. The resulting jewel of International Style architecture is a hallmark of 20th-Century modernism and is considered a New York City icon. The Seagram Building’s refined, sophisticated design was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. 66

Neue Nationalgalerie (above) A defining feature of Mies’ 1968 architectural design for this Berlin art museum is the massive, column-free interior space. Temporary panels to hold art are suspended from the ceiling and reconfigured as necessary for each exhibit. The absence of interior walls makes Neue Nationalgalerie one of the most unique museums in the world. buy here

(top right) Mies situated the museum on a raised plaza that connects to the city via a monumental, minimalist stone staircase. buy here (right) This photo of the museum’s spectacular main floor was taken in 1968 and to our knowledge has never been published before. buy here

Bacardi Building A superb example of Mies’ understated elegance, Mexico City’s Bacardi Building was designed in the late 1950s and is a study in restraint, order and precision. Its glass-walled lobby level and open, stone-paved plaza recall Mies’ design for the Seagram Building in New York, a high-rise triumph utilizing many of the same design elements. buy here

Bacardi Building The glass-enclosed lobby area opens up vertically into an interior atrium. Travertine floors and staircases recall Mies’ palette of materials for the Barcelona Pavilion and Farnsworth House. buy here

Toronto-Dominion Centre Begun in 1967, Canada’s largest office complex consists of six towers and a pavilion, all covered in bronze-tinted glass and black painted steel. Phyllis Lambert, who helped secure Mies to design the Seagram building, was also instrumental in choosing Mies as the architect for the TorontoDominion Centre. Mies was given “virtually a free hand” to create the project, and the end result is a classic example of his unique take on the International Style of architecture.

Toronto-Dominion Centre Begun in 1967, Canada’s largest office complex consists of six towers and a pavilion, all covered in bronze-tinted glass and black painted steel. Phyllis Lambert, who helped secure Mies to design the Seagram building, was also instrumental in choosing Mies as the architect for the Toronto-Dominion Centre. Mies was given “virtually a free hand” to create the project, and the end result is a classic example of his unique take on the International Style of architecture.

IIT – Crown Hall in Chicago Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago contains 20 buildings designed by Mies van der Rohe, including the famous Crown Hall, which add up to be the greatest concentration of Mies-designed structures in the world. Designed in 1956 to house IIT’s school of architecture, Crown Hall has 18-foot ceilings and an open plan, without the disruption of columns, creating what Mies described as “universal space.” A timeless artistic expression of steel and glass, Crown Hall is now a National Historic Landmark. buy here

Barcelona Pavilion Mies van der Rohe n 1929, 1986 n Barcelona, Spain

he Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, was the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. This building was used for the official opening of the German section of the exhibition. It is an important building in the history of modern architecture, known for its simple form and its skillful use of extravagant materials, such as marble, red onyx and travertine. The same principles of minimalism and refinement were also applied to the custom-designed furniture created specifically for the building, including the now-iconic Barcelona chair. The Barcelona Pavilion helped jump-start the International Style of architecture and influenced generations of future architects. Beginnings and concept Mies and Reich were offered the commission of this building in 1928 after his successful administration of the 1927 Werkbund exhibition in Stuttgart. The German Republic entrusted Mies with the artistic management and construction of not only the Barcelona Pavilion, but also the buildings for all the German sections at the 1929 International Exhibition. In the years following World War I, Germany’s economy improved, ushering in a new era of optimism and progress. The pavilion for the International Exhibition was supposed to represent the new Weimar Germany: democratic, culturally progressive, prospering, and thoroughly pacifist — a sort of national “self-portrait” manifested through architecture. Georg von Schnitzler, the German official who commissioned the project, asked for a building that would give “voice to the spirit of a new era.” At the opening of the pavilion, he stated, “We wished here to show what we can do, what we are, how we feel and how we see today. We do not want anything but clarity, simplicity and honesty.”

Design and construction The pavilion would not be required to accommodate any exhibits or secondary functions. This allowed Mies the freedom to create a radical solution: a free-flowing structure enclosing a single sculpture and custom-designed furniture (including the Barcelona Chair). Mies treated the Pavilion as a continuous space; blurring inside and outside. The roof appears to weightlessly hover above slender reflective columns. The entire building rests on a plinth of travertine, and the simple floor plan includes two reflecting pools and a graceful sculpture by Georg Kolbe called Alba (“Dawn.”) Mies wanted this building to become “an ideal zone of tranquility” for the weary visitor, who should feel invited into the pavilion on the way to the next attraction. Since the pavilion lacked a real exhibition space, the building itself was to become the exhibit. Because this was planned as an exhibition pavilion, it was intended to exist only temporarily. The building was torn down in early 1930, less than a year after it was completed. Reconstruction In the following decades, the Barcelona Pavilion became a key point of reference not only in Mies van der Rohe’s own career but also in twentieth-century architecture as a whole. Between 1983 and 1986, a group of Catalan architects reconstructed the pavilion, based on historical drawings and rediscovered footings on the site. The reconstructed Pavilion is open to the public and is one of Barcelona’s most popular architectural destinations.

The calming design is visually quiet, due in part to the limited palette of materials: stone, glass, and water. 78

Above: Open-pore travertine panels form the floor and exterior walls of the pavilion. The precise geometry of their rectangular forms contrasts beautifully with the organic shapes of the trees and other plantings visible above the Pavilion’s walls.

Opposite page, left: The minimalist chrome-plated support columns that Mies designed for the pavilion have neither base nor capital. right: Mies’ now-iconic Barcelona Chair was designed specifically for this project;

Previous spread: The Pavilion’s ordered and serene courtyard. This spread: The Barcelona Pavilion’s composition is a gridded and interlocking collection of rectangular planes. Its luxurious materials and embrace of nature makes for a contemplative and transformative space.

Mies Marketplace

Living with the Modernist master’s works and ideas. Click on item photo for link to purchase.

An Overview of Mies’ Work from Taschen An inviting visual introduction to Mies’ architecture, Mies van der Rohe features 20 of his projects from the period 1906–1967 in both America and Europe. buy here

Scale Model – Mies’ 1929 Barcelona Pavilion Easy-to-assemble model made of birch plywood, methacrylate, and steel. From Beamalevich, this is the perfect gift for the lover of modern architecture. buy here

Vitra Miniature Collection: Mies–MR 20 Chair A modern classic: The gracefully elegant “MR” chair was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1927 for a complex of model apartments in Stuttgart, Germany. buy here

Tasse Alphabet Cups Mies van der Rohe designed the Allzweck font for the signage systems in his public buildings, the letters of which are printed on these high-quality porcelain cups. buy here

Knoll Barcelona Chair & Stool One of the most recognized objects of the last century, Mies’ 1929 Barcelona Chair exudes a simple elegance that harmonizes beautifully with any interior. buy here

Mies Marketplace

Framed Photographic Print This vintage photo of Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie was taken in 1968. The Modernist Collection offers museum-quality prints, custom-framed and ready to hang. buy here

Edith Farnsworth House – Black Crew Neck Sweatshirt We love the elegantly simple line drawing that the Farnsworth House uses for their visual identity. Purchases help support the Edith Farnsworth House’s preservation. buy here

A Respectful Update for a Mies Masterwork Gorgeously-detailed photographs celebrate the superb restoration of Mies’ 1960s design for Germany’s national museum of modern art, in Berlin. buy here

Mies van der Rohe Documentary on Kanopy The fascinating Mies on Scene tell the story of the Barcelona Pavilion, Mies’ 1929 masterpiece. Watch it for free on Kanopy, a streaming service linked to your local library. learn more

Living with the Modernist master’s works and ideas. Click on item photo for link to purchase.

Krefeld Lounge Chair and Ottoman A restrained, timeless furniture grouping designed in 1930 by Mies van der Rohe, for the Esters and Lange residences in Krefeld, Germany. buy here

Phaidon’s Impressively-Comprehensive “Mies” A rigorous and accessible text offers a clear description of Mies’ most important buildings, as well as the intellectual contexts for their design. Over 700 photographs. buy here

Limited-Edition Farnsworth House Scale Model Signed and dated, this beautifully-detailed model from Chisel and Mouse is handmade from plaster, metal etching, and wood. 11" x 18.5" buy here

Raphael Soriano n 1940-41 n Los Angeles, California

Richard Strauss House

In 1940, a student of Richard Neutra built a warmly minimalist house for a Los Angeles musician.

Previous spread: The combination living room/library is a warm and inviting space, with built-in furniture and a striking Modernist fireplace. The long, low bookcase is actually the backside of a custom-built sofa. The armchairs at right are Soriano’s own design.

Above: The focal point of this charming dining area is the minimalist dining furniture, which we believe is Soriano’s own design. Note the parallel bands of rope in the chairs – a technique used in Modernist sculpture of the era.

Opposite page: Music was clearly an important part of the client’s life. The built-in sofa includes cabinetry to hold sets of classical music LPs, and controls for the audio system. The piano area includes a cabinet to hold sheet music with a built-in lamp of Soriano’s design.

Left: Horizontal bands of windows are a hallmark of Soriano’s designs from this period of his career – a feature he may have picked up from his internship with architect Richard Neutra. The beds’ custom-made storage headboards include built-in reading lamps.

Below: A recurring feature of Soriano’s house designs was a built-in bed in the living room (right of fireplace) for reading, listening to music, and general lounging. It would be hard to imagine a more inviting setting for an afternoon nap.

FU RNITU RE C ER AM IC S+GLASS LIGHTING V I N TAG E WATC H E S

V I N TAG E M O D E R N D E S I G N

simplymod

W W W. S I M P LYM O D . C O M 97

Photo & Article Credits

Pages 56–65 Issue 1, Spring 2022

Chicago Federal Center Photos by Carol M. Highsmith. Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Article text: Research sources include, in edited and modified form, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Kluczynski_Federal_Building

Mies Forever.

Page 67 Seagram Building, photo: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Pages 68–75: Vintage photos of Mies van der Rohe projects, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Balthazar Korab Collection Pages 74–81 Barcelona Pavilion Article text: Research sources include, in edited and modified form, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona_Pavilion

Page 7 Photo credits

Pages 76–77

Top row, left to right: Ron Frazier; Rosie Steggles;

Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Joan Bautista/

House of Finn Juhl;

Shutterstock.com

Middle row, left to right: House of Finn Juhl; W. LeMay; Jason Taellious

Page 78

Bottom row, left to right: Jason Taellious; Jean

Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Tichr/Shutterstock.com

Philippe Delberghe; Balthazar Korab Page 79 Pages 12-23

Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Jean Philippe Delberghe

Sightings section Photo credits on each page with news item

Page 80 Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Tichr/Shutterstock.com

Pages 24–33 Richard Neutra’s John Nesbitt House, all photos by

Page 81

Barcelona Pavilion, top photo by Helioscribe/

Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)

Shutterstock.com; lower left: Tichr/Shutterstock. com; (lower right) Supergrey/Shutterstock.com;

Page 36 Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Helioscribe/

Pages 82-83

Shutterstock.com

Barcelona Pavilion, photo by Todamo/Shutterstock.com

Page 38 Edith Farnsworth House, photographs in the

Page 84

Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress,

Barcelona Pavilion, left photo by Jean Philippe

Prints and Photographs Division.

Delberghe; right photo by Cosmin Dragomir/ Shutterstock.com

Page 40 Toronto Domion Centre, photo by Yeshi Kangrang.

Page 85 Barcelona Pavilion, left photo by Jean Philippe

Page 42–43

Delberghe; right photo by Tomas Val

Page 90–95 Richard Strauss House by architect Raphael Soriano.

Page 44–53, 55

Edith Farnsworth House

Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)

Photos: Carol Highsmith. Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints

Page 99

and Photographs Division.

Toronto-Dominion Centre photo by Jean Karim

Article text: Research sources include,

Dangou

in edited and modified form, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House Page 54 Edith Farnsworth House, top photo ©Lessismore2020 Bottom photo © Ron Frazier, from Bloomington IL, United States 2019

Photo: Jean Karim Dangou

Parting Shot Architectural detail of the Toronto-Dominion Centre, designed in 1967 by Mies van der Rohe. 99

Visual branding systems that resonate & endure.

Publication Design • Interactive Design • Visual Identity Systems www.RobertKingDesign.com

100