The famed German architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, helped pioneer Modern architecture in Western Europe at the Bauhaus and, due to Germany’s slide toward nationalism and militaristic behavior, in Chicago between the wars. Mies, along with Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, established a new architectural style that they felt best represented modern times. Mies’ style is characterized by extreme clarity of formal expression and simplicity. His designs called for the use of modern materials, such as steel and plate glass, to define both the external and internal spaces. Mies sought minimal structural order as he strove to achieve a maximum of free-flowing open spaces. He liked to refer to his designs as “skin and bones”. One of his famous aphorisms is “less is more”. What are your thoughts on Mies and his architecture designs within the context of defining Modernity between and after and do you agree that “less is more”?
Photo of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona Pavilion (reconstructed 1999)
roberttracyphd
Continuing Thoughts on Modern Art 
November 15th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
Simplicity can be beautiful. If you do too much to any work of art you can ruin it. Mies has some really beautiful yet simplistic designs for buildings. The wide open spaces make you feel like the buildings go on forever. Even though they might not be as complex as some buildings they are done with an artist’s touch. He really has more out out of less.
November 16th, 2011 at 1:46 am
I definitely believe that less is more. Creating a design without superfluous information, where every aspect of the design benefits the function of the object is incredibly hard to do and requires an intellectual and analytical frame of mind but once done, the outcome is incredibly beautiful. It almost seems that now that art is in the hands of artists instead of patrons, ostentatious decoration that would normally be used to show off wealth is disregarded and utility is honored above all.
It also makes sense to have a desire to maintain open space as the industrial revolution began to crowd cities with its buildings.
November 16th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
I find Mies’ designs very simple yet very impressive. Having such a minimalist quality, the architecture gives you a sense of tranquility and calmness. Perhaps his idea was to create a zen place by stripping his designs down to the bare essentials, where no one would be too distracted. Some may think minimalist art and architecture to be boring, but I find it much more powerful and complex in meaning.
November 17th, 2011 at 12:25 am
Mies’s term “less is more” is true, depending on the context. His theories brought him success as his ideas are still used today. We are very focused on leisure and how to make life more enjoyable/easy and Mies’s designs effectively reflect that. His architecture has a very relaxed, ergonomical look to it that is very inviting as opposed to looking extremely elaborate or being painstakingly practical to its intended uses. He also makes very good use of modern materials, such as steel, that are usually associated with bulky, business oriented, skyscrapers.
November 17th, 2011 at 7:55 am
Personally I believe less is in fact more. That is just my style, however. I enjoy simple, yet powerful design and that is just what Mies’ style was like. His “skin and bone” structures seem very appealing, but it is in the eye of the beholder. It just depends on what people want to see and what the expect.
November 18th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
I understand his comment about “less is more” and I believe that to be true with a lot of things in life, especially with his sense of style with modernism. This was a time that “futuristic” was in the works so it was relevant to have less and keep things clean and simple. The more simple, the sleeker the buildings looked. With the wars going on, people wanted to keep their minds off of that and have some way for a fresh start. Architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe knew just how to give society a new start with his works and was very successful at it.
November 20th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
I do think that Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s designs reflect the spirit of Modernity. Time seems to flow much faster in modern times, and an architecture that offer wide, lighted spaces, created by clean, straight lines, free from ornamentation, and other elements that would encumber the feeling of pure space ( as in Barcelona Pavilion), creates the comfort that modern person looks for ; it is the architecture of the age of reason, rather the architecture of the old associated with myths and symbols. In the former case, less is definitely more– less elements to create a structure, more space and comfort.
November 21st, 2011 at 3:42 am
Ludwig Mies’ statement of “less is more” definitely applies to more than just art and design. Compared to some of the more extravagant and flamboyant phases of art, it was a perfect time to turn the art world on its head and showcase this new idea and design mantra to the modern world of art. “Mies’ style is characterized by extreme clarity of formal expression and simplicity.” This core principle is still favored and sought after by many in today’s contemporary and modern designs.
November 22nd, 2011 at 2:01 am
From an architectural perspective, yes, less can definitely be more. For me, I feel that less ornamentation and superfluities help accentuate the integrity of the architectural design itself, giving viewers less to focus on and more to look at as a whole. Typically in contemporary times, we live in a very fast-paced world upheld by organization and accessibility. To reflect those modern qualities, it would seem most appropriate to reflect onto buildings and erected forms with smooth surfaces, minimal decoration, and cleanness! I revere Mies for pioneering this new form of expression, giving way to the beautiful architecture we see today that reflect the type of society we live in.
I’ve seen his work; the guy was a creative genius.
November 22nd, 2011 at 6:36 am
Whether you create a minimalistic building in a rural or urban area it exemplifies a balance with its environment. Less really is more when you want to appreciate the beauty in or around it. It eliminates a distraction from what its true function, purpose or reason for constructing it was. I feel that using the bare bones and modern materials makes a simplistic art piece in itself as well as allow for the natural and manufactured art shine.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:37 am
I completely agree with this statement and the “Less is More” theory. Negative space is important in design and that goes a long with “Form Follows Function”. The bare bones allows for more creativity and working area. Steel and glass are still today a modern aesthetic of design and architecture. They were great then and they are great now.
December 4th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I personally favor minimalist art as well as modern architecture with clean lines and sleek curves. Simplicy is a concept often overlooked, as much of ancient architecure is ornate and stylzed and many artisits and architects draw from the past. Some people have houses that are completely cluttered with stuff, which doesn’t allow for creatvity but rather catastrophe, and I can’t stand it. People get caught up in owning too much stuff and loose sight of leading simple lives with a few nice things and not clutter.
November 25th, 2011 at 10:43 pm
My first year of college I was an architecture major here at UNLV. The style of teaching in the architecture school here is somewhat based on this principle. They are more interested in the concept of the building, not really what looks best necessarily. Less is definitely more. And it is definitely a modern thing. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go to architecture school and the professor say something like “Today class, we are going to discuss this style of Roman pillar, again”. The modern style that Bauhaus pushed is what allows for more creativity. It seems ironic, that by taking away embellishments you are inviting more creative thought, but it’s true.
November 26th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Less is more…. I love this statement. I feel like this city is surrounded by more more more. With using less i think that the less parts have to be perfect instead of when there is chaos in something the little mistakes are not easily seen. I think the reaction of using less is due to the fact that the machine was so prevalent making things gaudy and overdone. Turning to the simplicity in things is a natural reaction with so much going on around them with industrial aspects of life and the hectic feelings of the city.
December 1st, 2011 at 2:13 am
I do believe that less is more. If you get too much of one thing, you become desensitized to whatever it is. But if you get a general amount, you become to hold what you have special because theres only so much of it. I believe Mies had a great outlook on minimalistic art, the way his architecture divides space. It gives it a simplistic look but I appreciate it more than if he had very complex aspects incorporated into his buildings.
December 2nd, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I agree with Mies’ thoughts on modern or minimal architecture and think that open and simple design can actually has a bigger impact on a space than traditional design does. Every time I’ve heard the saying of “less is more” I’ve interpreted it as “less crap is more sensible.” That to me is what he is saying, and in that sense he views ornamentation and unnecessary details as “crap” or basically pointless. I do love modern works, especially architecture, but I don’t think that that makes ornamental structures any less beautiful. Each style has an extreme and I believe, as with any extreme, if you only focus on one side it becomes too much. Mies’ boldly abandoned ornamentation altogether, which was what brought him so much attention and made his designs so successful. He understood the functionality that comes when designs are based upon simple geometric forms and built upon that to create the buildings we are inspired by today.
December 3rd, 2011 at 10:01 pm
I definitely agree that less is more. His designs are very successful because he used the “less is more” motto. Adding simplicity as a big part of your design makes it that much more interesting in my opinion. Especially in achitecture, I believe that having less makes it more visually interesting. It makes me think about how it was doable and it has much more of a visual affect. Having too much of something is overwhelming sometimes and having too much of something is worse than having too little because it leaves you wanting more rather than leaving you with a feeling of overwhelmed.
December 4th, 2011 at 6:54 pm
To me the quote “less is more” is close to the saying “a little bit goes a long way”. In this case, architecture doesn’t need a whole lot of design to it, just something simple that can last a long time. Just like with art, sometimes artist’s think that their work is never really “complete”, but sometimes if you add too much you can ruin the whole thing. I recently had that struggle with my latest painting, a small part of me wanted to add more to it, but I was afraid of ruining it, so I left it alone, which turned out to be a good choice seeing as how my painting professor and the class took a liking to it the way I left it.
December 5th, 2011 at 6:43 pm
When looking at Mies work I see modern architecture written all over it. I agree with Mies that less is more because his work definitely reflects it. The simplicity of his forms takes sculpturing/designing to its core having its components contrasting in directions creating compelling interesting negative space. This simple structure holds a sense of tranquility to it having the eye of the viewer gently tracing the design of the building as opposed to a design that would be more complex and noisy. Even today we see this type of simplistic architecture still being used proving to still hold its Modernity.
December 7th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
I believe that minimalist design can be much more complex than any other kind of design method. Because you are dealing with such few components, you have to think exactly how to place certain things in order to create an interesting composition. As an artist or architect, you must decide what exactly to keep and what to leave out. Architects encounter a very specific problem because of structural necessities, and how to deal with this in minimalistic buildings can be quite challenging. I personally believe that his quote “less is more” can be very true, and in styles that use this motto successfully, there is more beauty to be found in simplicity. Many designers add things because their design techniques are poor, so they try to mask it. Great designers are able to use Mies’s “less is more” technique and make amazing things from it.
December 7th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Mies and his architect’s design are essentially stripped down to the bare bones. Keeping things simple works hand in hand with modernity. Less is in fact more when it comes to the longevity of a piece of work. Something that is clear cut and designed in a very simple manner will undoubtedly face less judgment. If we over embellish or, even make embellishment noticeable, we are most likely going to face some sort of criticism. The designs that Mies put together will truly stand the test of time because they are simple enough to be admired but, not over thought.
December 12th, 2011 at 4:08 am
I do agree with Mies’ statement that less is more. I admire the way Ludwig Mies van der Rohe kept his architectural design simplified. If a design is over-complicated, the artistic element about it is taken away. Minimalist art can, in fact, have a deeper meaning than a complex work of art, and it can also be appreciated more because it leaves out room for distraction. In addition, Mies probably thought that if he kept his design simple, than it would most likely last longer than something more intricate.
December 14th, 2011 at 6:36 pm
In fashion, the notion of “less is more” is a style called minimalism. Fashion minimalism calls for quality pieces over quantity. The quality of the garment is more important to how many pieces the minimalist owns. This notion of quality over quantity justifies the notion of “less is more”. If you have top quality garments you don’t need to wear too many at once.
The same can be applied to architectural style. Mies’s preferred style is incredible, and has the power to create spaces that can produce great creative thought. In my house, I prefer open spaces, with minimal furnishing. It gives me space to breathe and empowers me to have plenty of creative freedom. The same can be said of the reason why Mies sought minimal structure, I think he wanted to create an open and free environment; an artistic environment that inspires rich creative freedom.
The “skin and bones” Mies describes the bare minimum that is needed in order to gain access into the simplicity of artistic freedom. The quality of materials used is such a testament to modernity, that today steel and plate glass are elements used in architecture to express modernity. Mies was truly ahead of his time.
December 15th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
I agree that in many case, less can be considered to be more. Often times, it is more impressive when an artists uses less to express something in comparison to an artists who expresses the same thing using more. When you are using ‘more’ also run the risk of over working your composition or subject. So I would say that Mies’ was right on the money because in my opinion I would prefer a work of art that is simple yet refined.