Ludwig Mies van der Rohe - Architecture study of The Barcelona Pavilion & Illinois Institute of Tech

LUDWIG

MIES VAN DER ROHE AJAYDEV | BATCH B | ROLL#2 | THEJUS COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

INTRO

HIS PRINCIPLES SYMMETRY

ALLIGNMENT WITH GRID

GLASS AND STEEL LARGE INTERNAL SPACES FREE FROM SUPPORTS ADDITIVE FORM RECTANGLES UNDEFINED CIRCULATION BLUR OF INTERNAL SPACES

ATTENTION-DEMANDING ELEMENTS

SPACE DEFINING ELEMENTS EMOTIONLESS

BARCELONA PAVILION

YEAR: 1928-1929 | LOCATION: BARCELONA, SPAIN | TYPE: EXIBITION BUILDING | ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: MODERNISM

Situated at the foot of the National Art Museum of Catalonia and Montjuic, the Barcelona Pavilion resides on a narrow site in a quiet tucked away corner secluded from the bustling city streets of Barcelona.

Raised on a plinth of travertine, the Barcelona Pavilion separates itself from it context create atmospheric and experiential effects that seem to occur in a vacuum that dissolves all consciousness of the surrounding city.

The pavilion was intended to be the face of the German section that would host King Alphonso XIII of Spain and German officials at the inauguration of the exposition. Unlike other pavilions at the exposition, Mies understood his pavilion simply as a building and nothing more, it would not house art or sculpture rather the pavilion would be a place of tranquility and escape from the exposition, in effect transforming the pavilion into an inhabitable sculpture.

MASTER PLAN

PLAN

ELEVATION & SECTION

The architect Miles Van der Rohe was interested in developing free flowing space and this is done using walls as planes in isolation, joined by sliding elements or glass. Thus the wall is expressed as a single elements using with space flowing around it. The majority of the pavilion building is constructed out of (cream colored) travertine which gives the building a luxurious fell and aids the prospective of spaciousness.

The low stature of the building narrows the visitor’s line of vision forcing one to adjust to the views framed by Mies. When walking up onto the plinth, one is forced under the low roof plane that captures the adjacent outdoor court as well as the interior moments that induce circulation throughout the pavilion

The interior of the pavilion consists of offset wall places that work with the low roof plane to encourage movement, as well as activate Mies’ architectural promenade where framed views would induce movement through the narrow passage that would open into a larger volume.

This cyclical process of moving throughout the pavilion sets in motion a process of discovery and rediscovery during ones experience; always offering up new perspectives and details that were previously unseen.

Every aspect of the Barcelona Pavilion has architectural significance that can be seen at the advent of modern architecture in the 20th Century; however, one of the most important aspects of the pavilion is the roof. The low profile of the roof appears in elevation as a floating plane above the interior volume. The appearance of floating gives the volume a sense of weightlessness that fluctuates between enclosure and canopy.

The roof structure is supported by eight slender cruciform columns that allow the roof to as effortlessly floating above the volume while freeing up the interior to allow for an open plan. With the low roof projecting out over the exterior and the openness of the pavilion, there is a blurred spatial demarcation where ht interior becomes and exterior and exterior becomes interior.

The pavilion is designed as a proportional composition where the interior of the pavilion is juxtaposed to two reflecting pools. The smaller reflecting pool is located directly behind the interior space which allows for light to filter through the interior volume as well illuminate the marble and travertine pavers. The larger, shallow reflecting pool compliments the volume as it stretches across the rest of the plinth. Its elegance and sleek lines establish a place of solitude and reflection.

In addition to the design, the materials are what give the Barcelona Pavilion its true architectural essence as well as the ethereal and experiential qualities that the pavilion embodies. The pavilion meshes the man-made and the natural employing four types of marble, steel, chrome, and glass. The marble originates from the Swiss Alps and the Mediterranean. Mies’ implementation of the marble is created through a process of splitting, called broaching, that creates a symmetrical patternization that’s found in the marble.

However, the most used material is the Italian travertine that wraps the plinth and the exterior walls adjacent to the reflecting pool. When exposed to the sun, the travertine becomes illuminated almost as a secondary light source that dissolves the natural stone and washes the light over the space. The travertine’s inherent luminous qualities as well as Mies’ seamless employment of the material over the plinth adds to the dissolution of spatial demarcation transforming the pavilion into one continuous volume rather than two separate entities.

ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY YEAR: 1956 | LOCATION: CHICAGO, UNITED STATES | TYPE: EDUCAIONAL BUILDING | ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: MODERNISM

In the year 1940, Armour Institute and Lewis Institute merged in Chicago to create the Illinois Institute of Technology. The merging of these two schools called for a new master plan for the university, and Mies van der Rohe was commissioned for the job. Mies' plan for the IIT campus was one of the largest projects he ever conceived and he developed it for twenty years. Today the campus contains 20 of his works, including the famous Crown Hall, which add up to be "the greatest concentration of Mies-designed buildings in the world."

The master plan for the campus was based on a 24' by 24' grid that was the structural module used as a mechanical tool for locating building columns.

"Orderliness was the real reason," Mies stated on his use of the grid. The dimension of it was determined by room size, accommodating classrooms, drafting rooms, and laboratory work, which were the three main types of expected activity to occur on the campus

Room sizes were determined from the sizes and arrangements of desks, drafting tables, and lab benches. This in turn began as a reverse planning order and determined the direction of the growth of the campus, where the furniture determined the room size, which then added up to the building size, and together the buildings created the campus.

The grid created the space between and within the two to three story buildings and incorporated Mies' concept of "universal space." His ideas on this included the expression of structure, exterior walls used as skin, and the overlapping placement of buildings to allow space to flow.

The design challenge for Mies arose with programs that did not fit within the activities with which he structured the grid around, for example, the auditorium and stairs. In Mies' first approach to this problem he separated these components outside of the main building blocks.

During the initial construction of the campus, the individual laboratory and classroom blocks were erected on the street grid so that they could harmonize with each other while they were built. The existing street grid was also incorporated into the campus area to determine green zones planted with acacia trees and traversed by foot paths allowing for a relationship with the buildings and nature, a concept also seen in other projects by Mies such as the Farnsworth House. This principle of order with a strict building organization and green zones resulted in a clear urban solution.

In the second phase of construction, which began in 1952, the IIT Research Institute Buildings were executed in concrete or steel-frame construction with load bearing elements of floors set behind the facade clad in reinforced concrete as a fire precaution. This allowed for the construction of these buildings to be carried out in an economical fashion, with costs as little as $10 a square foot.

It was important to Mies that the buildings kept a modern style during the development of the campus, and maintained this look for the future. By confining himself to contemporary materials, glass and steel, he was able to craft the expression of modernity.

This is especially noted in the S.R. Crown Hall, which is the College of Architecture and the most admired building of the collection.

Designed in 1956, Crown Hall is a straightforward expression of construction and materiality. The building has an open plan that does not have the disruption of columns, once again creating "universal space."

The only partitions in the building are free-standing oak partitions that mark different spaces for different activities.

With a ceiling height of 18 feet and a massive floor area of 120' by 220', the architecture school contains perfect studio spaces that allow creative interaction among users. A timeless artistic expression of steel and glass, Crown Hall is now a National Historic Landmark.

LUDWIG

MIES VAN DER ROHE AJAYDEV | BATCH B | ROLL#2 | THEJUS COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE