Mies van der Rohe's concept of architecture as a life process

What is it about?

From his popular motto ‘less is more’ to his concept of architecture as ‘the spatially apprehended will of the epoch’, the aphorisms of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) remain one of his most memorable legacies. Despite being less well known, other such statements promoted by Mies are also important to clarify the philosophy that sustained his works. This paper investigates one of these less known yet highly revealing statements: ‘Building-art is a life process’.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This article shows that Mies’s work considerably coheres with his view of architecture as part of a broader dynamic spiritual-material reality, and thus indicates a mutually enriching dialogue between architecture and philosophy.