A leading figure of 20th-century architecture and design, Mies van der Rohe was one of the founders of the International Style. Trained in Germany, notably in the studio of Peter Behrens, he developed an architectural language based on structural clarity and formal reduction, famously summed up in his motto “Less is more.”

Director of the Bauhaus from 1930 to 1933, he later emigrated to the United States, where he profoundly shaped modern architecture, particularly in Chicago. Landmark works such as the Barcelona Pavilion, the Farnsworth House, and the Seagram Building established his refined vocabulary of steel, glass, and open space.

Alongside his architectural practice, Mies designed iconic furniture, including the Barcelona Chair, which has become a timeless symbol of modern elegance.