Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

[rollenkingston 0]

So we've all seen this awesome building right? I believe it was in Simcity 3000.

IBM Plaza

So who was the architect behind this awesome building? Why, none other than Ludwig Mies van  der Rohe. He's not quite as famous as Wright or Gehry outside of architect circles but he's done a lot of great stuff. So tell me what you think of his buildings, and if anyone else knows about him, share stuff, your insight and your opinions.

The man's picture

Crown Hall

Lake Shore Drive Apartments

Barcelona Pavillion

[RHMgerards 7]

i know him, i once had to make an essay about modern acrhitecture, a part of it was about him. i personaly don't like his architecture style, i would go for deconstructivism or something like that. but the seagram building in new york and the IBM in chicage are cool.

[rollenkingston 0]

Originally posted by: natuurzoon  i personaly don't like his architecture style...quote>

As my friend would say, those buildings have NO SOUL. lol

[mayormommy 8]

I grew up near the Lake Shore Drive apartments - used to walk my dogs by them every day. I have to say they didn't do too much to inspire me but I recognize his enormous influence on other architects. Plus the lobby furniture was really cool.

[rollenkingston 0]

That's pretty cool. Actually, the inside is quite good looking. I'll post pictures later.

[rollenkingston 0]

Lake Shore Apartments (more pictures)

The lobby, quite nice.

Aerial view

[mayormommy 8]

Wow, thanks, brings back memories. Look, there I am with the dogs! (j/k). I was only in the building one time, for a JASNA literary society meeting at someone's apartment. I don't remember the apartment itself being that remarkable, since it probably had been redecorated over the years, but the view was nice. A small side street nearby (ironically not one that these buildings are on, but one closer to the John Han*****) has been renamed Mies van der Rohe Way. 

[Jasoncw 11,839]

Lafayette Park in Detroit was designed by him, and is the largest single collection of his work on the planet.

From Emporis:

-	This 78-acre urban renewal project was originally called the Gratiot Park Development. Planned by Mies van der Rohe and Ludwig Hilberseimer it includes a landscaped, 19-acre park with no through traffic, in which these and other low-rise apartment buildings are sited.
-	The apartment buildings of Lafayette Park are classic examples of Mies' International Style, with their simplicity, clean proportions, and cladding of tinted glass and aluminum.
-	Lafayette Park was added to the United States' National Register of Historic Places on the 1st of August, 1996.

A link to some more information and a few pictures:

http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/historic/districts/lafayette_park.pdf

And here's a really good link to a set of photos, with descriptions. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetjuniper/sets/72057594086163657/

There are 186 townhouses, and 3 apartment towers designed by him.

Back in the day, the Black Bottom, a mega poor black neighborhood, was at the site of were Lafayette Park, and some freeways are today.  The land was cleared, but no one wanted to develop it.  Eventually a developer came along, and hired some of the best in modernist design, to design the entire neighborhood.  They designed it with their ideals of community and peace and all of that kind of stuff, and today, Lafayette Park is a healthy, racially and economically diverse community, right outside from Downtown Detroit.  This is one of the few modernist developments that does what it said it would do.

[rollenkingston 0]

In terms of pure design, I guess this stuff is very strong. But I still say a lot of this stuff has no soul. But if the architecture and planning has helped the city, that's pretty cool. Though I heard Detroit is just one big slum.

[Jasoncw 11,839]

Originally posted by: rollenkingstonThough I heard Detroit is just one big slum.quote>

Well, then I'll have to pop the un-informed bubble you've been living in.

Here's a thread full of photos.  If you look at all the ones in that thread, you should have a decent feel for the greater downtown area.  To cover the rest of the city would take more threads, and I'm not sure if anyone has put together threads for all of the city.

And so you're sitting at a cafe, and you start talking to someone, and it turns out they're from Detroit.  Do you say, "hey, I heard your city is one big slum"?  This is the internet, you're in a giant cafe filled with people from all over the world, and you're conversing with everyone at once.

Here's some Lafayette Park photos from that thread:

http://static.flickr.com/103/253674406_b3dc1e0d38_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/110/253674246_fbf48033a2_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/88/253674131_947eb8a138_b.jpg

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkilbride/)

[rollenkingston 0]

No, I didn't mean any disrespect. I've personally never been to Detroit. In fact I was in class and I read out some of posts on the "worst city planning" thread out loud and my friend informed me that Detroit apparently, at least downtown Detroit was probably one of the worst cities in terms of urban planning along with LA. Again, I've never been and this is all second hand, maybe third hand information.

[Jasoncw 11,839]

Then why spread such uninformed opinions? I'll respond about Detroit in the other thread.

[rollenkingston 0]

I said "I heard", I didn't say I knew. All I know is that Detroit has a pretty decent skyline. But then again, so does Toronto. But again, I heard crime in the city is pretty high.