MARITZ VANDENBERG

The New National Gallery, Berlin, Kimbell Art Museum and Museum fur Kunsthandwerk in Frankfurt are striking examples of modern museum design, built in three different decades. The Berlin Gallery was Mies van der Rohe's last great building -- a 'temple' to art in glass and steel. Louis Kahn's Kimbell Art Museum is a building of severity and restraint, its architectural effects arising from rhythmical spaces and a refined treatment of materials. Richard Meier's Museum fur Kunsthandwerk is a subtle and intricate building of shifted grids and superimposed planes -- an interesting precursor to his Getty Center. By presenting these works together, one can examine the similarities and differences in approach taken by three renowned architects in designing buildings with successful interior museum spaces and exteriors that present a public message to the world.

Farnsworth House An in-depth account of an icon of 20th-century Modernist architecture.Maritz Vandenberg Part of an award-winning architectural series for students and professionals This volume focuses on Farnsworth House, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Contains a detailed introductory essay and over 100 photographs and line drawings Includes specially commissioned photography, technical drawings and working details The only residence ever to be built by the pioneering architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in America, Farnsworth House (1948-51) exemplifies the central tenet both of the 'international style', by inverting the conventions of traditional architecture, and of Mies' own design philosophy. Commissioned by Dr Edith Farnsworth to build a weekend retreat, Mies designed the house as an envelope of glass and steel floating over the Illinois Fox River flood plain. Its minimalist interior was intended for a simpler, cleaner, and healthier lifestyle. Before its actual completion, however, architect and client had fallen out over expenses and practical problems with the house. By the time Lord Palumbo bought it in 1972, Farnsworth had changed many of the interior elements dictated so precisely by Mies. Following a ruinous flood in 1996, the house has been faithfully reconstructed to its original conception. Richly illustrated with detailed drawings and specially commissioned photography, this latest book in an award-winning series provides an in-depth account of this icon of twentieth century modernist architecture.