We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
Reinforced concrete buildings are by nature skeletal buildings. No noodles nor armoured turrets. A construction of girders that carry the weight, and walls that carry no weight. That is to say, buildings consisting of skin and bones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the simplistic and essential nature of modern architecture, highlighting how form follows function.
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe's quote illustrates the philosophy of modern architecture, where buildings are designed to reveal their structural elements. By describing reinforced concrete buildings as 'skeletal,' he conveys the idea that the visible framework, or 'girders,' is what supports the structure, while the walls serve merely as a skin—emphasizing a blend of aesthetics and functionality that defines modernist design.
Themes
ArchitectureModernismDesignStructureFunctionality
In practice
Example use cases
In an architecture lecture, discussing the principles of modernist design.
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Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
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