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CROWN HALL (1956) " Less is more " S.R. Crown Hall Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe was born in Aachen, Germany in 1886. Growing up, he was brought into his father's stone carving business and eventually started to work at local design firms. Exploring other firms and practices, he eventually crossed paths with greats like Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. After World War I, he fled to the United States and began practicing his architecture in a different tone. Mies originally was interested in Traditionalism and ornament. His early projects conveyed historical styles and classic facades, but his shift in interest then steered him towards a more modernist approach. Eventually, Mies started to get recognition for his work and was involved in projects like the Barcelona Pavilion which was a part of the Weissenhofsiedlung, Bauhaus, IIT Masterplan and more. The project that really started to showcase Mies' understanding of structure and grid was S.R. Crown Hall, a facil...

The start of New-Brutalism The Smithson high school , previously known as the hunstanton high school was built in 1954 by architects Alison and Peter Smithson. The commission for the high school was the first for the young architects. “Alison met Peter, the team of architects won their first commission when they were still in their twenties. Hunstanton Secondary Modern School(Norfolk, 1949-1954) offered a rare opportunity for them to realise their bold idealised vision”. The building is a two story rectangle with a central void, a flat roof and two indoor courtyards. “The noisy elements such as the workshops, gymnasium and kitchen are without the main block”. The building’s program is divided into noisy vs not noisy. The project is made up of two structures and two courtyards. The noisy program and not noisy program is separated through the courtyards. The couple got inspiration from Mies van der Rohe and wanted to incorporate his ide...

A MODERN CLASSROOM The S. R. crown hall located in chicago was built in 1956 by Mies Van Der Rohe. The building was designed to be a school for architecture. The interior of the building was designated a landmark by 2001. The building accurately shows the style of architecture that Mies Van Der Rohe practiced.  “One of Mies van der Rohe’s last buildings erected on the Illinois institute of technology campus is Crown Hall, a Superb example of his clear span designs”. The building is said to be a masterpiece of modern architecture. It shows the construction and materiality that is modern architecture. The structure transcends itself and becomes art, it is the perfect representation of Mies Van Der Rohe’s ideas. There are no columns on the floor plan which further shows the idea of universal space. “In this manner, with steel and glass, a dramatic, single space measuring 120 by 220 feet and 18 feet high is created”. The architect want...