Modernism: Mies Van Der Rohe and Functionalism

“We are not against beauty, but against useless things” (Khrushchev, 1954)

Modernism came about as a means of forgetting about the war and damage done by the war. The movement called for a reinterpretation of history/architecture after coming from a state of devastation. It changed all sectors of design from graphics to architecture to art and furniture. One well-known figure to modernism is Mies Van Der Rohe key for his “less is more” statement. This statement gives us an idea about the ideals of the period. Ornamentation is minimal, and designs were simple but functional, essential for recovering from the war. Making things functional and less about the look made things easier to be mass produced, and get the industry back up and running. Architects like Mies were compelled by moral duty to provide designs that were functional yet affordable for the struggling public. His designs were simple but essentially timeless pieces; his Barcelona chair is still popular to this day.

Farnsworth house is an example of the architecture created during this new period. Stripped back to its bare foundations, it appears as a transparent form levitating above ground in an isolated surrounding. The steel framework shows off the new found materials and technology. The house boasts simplicity, the walls bare white, the furniture clean and used sparingly. It appears as one with nature, and everything designed has a function, like nature. The elevated nature of the building takes into account the vulnerability of the area to flood.

                               Figure 1 Farnsworth House (1989)

McKay, G. (2013) Architecture vs Building. At: http://misfitsarchitecture.com/tag/functionalism/ (Accessed on 10.05.14)


Cheng, W. (2013) Functionalist Designed Architecture and Interiors by Mies Van Der Rohe. At: http://weimararchitecture.weebly.com/mies-van-der-rohe.html (Accessed on 10.05.14)