Mies Van Der Rohes Krefeld Villas

The Krefeld Villas, Haus Lange and Haus Esters (1927-30), have long been considered minor works of architect van der Rohe, and have rarely been regarded critically. Kleinman (architecture, State U. of New York, Buffalo) and Van Duzer (architecture, Arizona State U.) revisit the villas, and discuss the history of the project, the intersection of art and architecture (specifically the work of Sol LeWitt and Richard Serra), the structure of the buildings, and the aesthetic and philosophical concerns. The book is amply illustrated with photographs of the exterior and interior, working drawings, elevations and floor plans. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

With all of the attention Mies van der Rohe has received over the last few years, it's hard to believe that there could be a pair of 'undiscovered' buildings begging for even the slightest consideration and receiving none. Such has been the fate, however, of Mies's Krefeld Villas, a pair of neighboring brick residences of typically restrained elegance built from 1927 to 1930. Their anonymity is, to some degree, Mies's own doing; in 1959, in his only public comment about the projects, he quipped that he would have preferred to use more glass, but the clients objected. 'I had great trouble,' he said.

As historians Kent Kleinman and Leslie van Duzer show in this carefully researched, eminently readable study, sometimes it's best not to take the architect at his word. Here they guide us through the two villas, which were converted into a joined museum of contemporary art after World War II. Each chapter begins with a study of an artist who has created a site-specific installation within the villas. By analyzing how Yves Klein, Sol LeWitt, Richard Serra, and Ernst Caramelle chose to engage Mies's architecture, they arrive at a truly original understanding of these two forgotten masterworks.

"I wanted to make this house much more in glass, but the client did not like that. I had great trouble."
With this single remark, Mies van der Rohe condemned Haus Lange, along with its neighbor, Haus Esters, to the dustbin of the modern master's legacy. Forty-five yeas after this fateful comment - and seventy-five since they were built - the Krefeld villas finally get their due. Authors Kent Kleinman and Leslie Van Duzer make a thoroughly researched investigation into the history of these two villas - from the residences of lifelong friends and business partners Hermann Lange and Josef Esters to an ensemble of museums exhibiting many of today's most influential contemporary artists.