Because in organization science or management we seem inherently fond of making things complicated. In architecture, less is more is seen as state of the art. In management the paradigm seems to be the opposite. I wonder why? Is it the mindset? Or is it inevitable—a natural phenomenon that organizations become more complicated when they grow, be they companies, teams or states?
Is it easier to add to something rather than remove it? Were things less complex in the past? Did we have fewer laws then?
Does society operate more efficiently now than it did previously? Are our schools or health systems better now than when there were fewer rules? It appears to be an unspoken rule that things become more complex as corporations expand, with teams becoming bigger and bigger, until nobody knows who is doing what anymore, and who is responsible. Is this ever-growing complexity Frederick Taylor's fault? Is it caused by managers or consultants, who justify their existence by explaining in ever more complex cycles how other people have to do their work?
The architect had trouble getting his designs built in the s when the Nazi Party came to prominence in Germany and denounced his ideas as un-German, and Mies was forced to shut down Bauhaus after pressure from the political party. He came to the US. The buildings built by Mies during that time still exist at the school, later renamed the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His final work was the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, an art museum which again used his famous building tools of steel and glass.
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His German Pavilion Barcelona Pavilion — pictured above , conceived for the Universal Exposition of in Barcelona, came as the synthesis of extensive research on the home, breaking ground in both architectural composition and constructive techniques. The most revolutionary among them include: the steel pillar in a cross format, the separation of environments through independent partitions encouraging movement, and the delineation of the home from the street to create a completely isolated environment.
Not supporting the roof or floor loads, the feature changed the relationship between the internal and external environments, which were previously governed by a traditional wall with windows. In this way, the building is seen not just at the base, but in its entirety, creating an open relationship with the city rather than simply existing within it.
Then there were the examples of architecture that helped define his classroom buildings: a single space defined by its simplicity and planar roof — a sort of modern, covered square. Last but not least is the always iconic Farnsworth House pictured above : a weekend home conceived by Mies as a forest escape.
The home, designed and built between and , consists of two horizontal floors with glass walls surrounding the property, where the only privacy from outside is found in a central volume reserved for the restroom. Over the course of his career, Mies van der Rohe dedicated himself not only to architecture, but also the design objects that were destined to fill the interiors of his countless projects. Among these, the Barcelona Chair , originally created for the German Pavilion of , is still in production by Knoll, who bought rights to the design in Even here the principle remains the same.
A polished chrome frame, inspired by the form of scissors, is met with a quilted leather cushion where 40 squares are cut and sewn by hand. Today, it would seem that Less is more attitude is more important than ever — both in architecture and everyday life.
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