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Tuesday 26 May 2020

And the next challenge is ...



... not a style of architecture but an architect - Mies van der Rohe.

When my husband was still boyfriend/student architect his favourite architect was Mies van der Rohe. At the time I was more into Edward Lutyens but now Mies van der Rohe's use of grids and straight lines really appeals ... and there are always his chairs if his buildings don't appeal.

See Wikipedia or  https://www.archdaily.com/350573/happy-127th-birthday-mies-van-der-rohe for more examples of his work.

File:FarnsworthHouse-Mies-1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Farnsworth House (Illinois) by Mies van der Rohe

6 comments:

  1. Great choice Linda! It is great to have such variety.

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  2. That's going to be interesting, and really push me out of my comfort zone I expect.

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  3. Mmmh. It is going to be interesting to revisit Mies van der Rohe. Thanks, Linda B.

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  4. Mmmmmh....from me as well. Newie for me. This is going to be a challenge.

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  5. As a former member of 12btd, I follow your challenges with great interest. I love seeing your imaginative interpretations of the themes.

    Dianne alerted me to your next challenge, and suggested I share some tidbits about our Montreal condo, which was designed by Mies van der Rohe. Four years ago we bought a weekend "pied-à-terre" in Westmount Square, built in the 60's. The buildings opened in 1967, coinciding with the Expo 67 World's Fair and the opening of the Metro.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westmount_Square (or do a search for images)

    Because of heritage preservation laws, the building is very much in its original state. We actually get our mail delivered directly to our unit, through a slot in the door, because it would be a violation of the heritage laws to install mail cubbies in the lobby. The lobby and each hallway is furnished with furniture in the style of van der Rohe, no doubt copies rather than originals.

    The below-ground garage is unusual, in that it is not hidden behind concrete interior walls, but rather the cars are "featured" by glass walls. The cars themselves are an impressive collection of mostly Porsches, Beemers and Jaguars, putting our (usually muddy) Subaru in its place as a country cousin.

    We live in Tower 3, one of four buildings in the complex, all grouped on a large plaza. The towers are made less imposing because of the height of the lobby and entrance, more in keeping with the "human-scale" of the heritage buildings on the adjacent Greene Avenue. Aside from the black steel, travertine marble is widely used in the lobby and in the underground concourse, which connects directly to the Metro.

    Sadly, all the things that made our weekends in the city so much fun (theatre, museums, restaurants, galleries and libraries) are not available during lockdown. We hope to resume our weekends in the city soon!

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  6. Too many straight lines: I am not looking forward to this!

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