Mies van der Rohe shaped modern cities with his steel-and-glass designs and his “less is more” philosophy. This quiz looks at the life, iconic structures, and lasting legacy of this pioneering modernist architect.
You will see questions about his famous minimalist residences, important commissions, and his leadership at the Bauhaus school. Some questions focus on his early life in Germany, while others highlight his career in America.
After completing this, you can read more about famous architects, learn about architectural styles, or explore famous buildings.
Mies van der Rohe is widely considered one of the pioneers of which architectural style?
Modernism
Modernism
Baroque
Baroque
Brutalism
Brutalism
Art Deco
Art Deco
Which famous aphorism is most frequently associated with the minimalist philosophy of Mies van der Rohe?
Form follows function
Form follows function
Less is a bore
Less is a bore
Less is more
Less is more
Ornament is crime
Ornament is crime
Mies van der Rohe served as the final director of which influential German art school before it was forced to close in 1933?
Bauhaus
Bauhaus
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
Ulm School of Design
Ulm School of Design
Vkhutemas
Vkhutemas
Which two materials became the defining signatures of Mies van der Rohe’s architectural aesthetic?
Iron and terracotta
Iron and terracotta
Concrete and stone
Concrete and stone
Steel and glass
Steel and glass
Wood and brick
Wood and brick
Which iconic structure was designed by Mies van der Rohe for the 1929 International Exposition in Spain?
Villa Tugendhat
Villa Tugendhat
Farnsworth House
Farnsworth House
Barcelona Pavilion
Barcelona Pavilion
Seagram Building
Seagram Building
Along with the pavilion, what piece of iconic furniture did Mies van der Rohe design specifically to provide seating for the Spanish royalty?
A bookshelf
A bookshelf
A lamp
A lamp
A dining table
A dining table
A chair
A chair
The Seagram Building, noted for its bronze exterior and plaza, is a landmark skyscraper located in which city?
New York City
New York City
Chicago
Chicago
Toronto
Toronto
London
London
Who was the primary client that commissioned the famous glass-walled residence located along the Fox River in Illinois?
Lilly Reich
Lilly Reich
Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Edith Farnsworth
Edith Farnsworth
Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson
Mies van der Rohe was a prominent figure in the architectural movement known as what, which sought to reform housing through industrial production?
Neues Bauen
Neues Bauen
Expressionism
Expressionism
Constructivism
Constructivism
De Stijl
De Stijl
Which notable designer and long-time collaborator worked closely with Mies van der Rohe on the interiors of the Barcelona Pavilion?
Dorothea Tanning
Dorothea Tanning
Lilly Reich
Lilly Reich
Anni Albers
Anni Albers
Gertrud Arndt
Gertrud Arndt
After immigrating to the United States, Mies van der Rohe spent many years as the director of the architecture program at which university?
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Chicago School of Architecture
Chicago School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
Yale School of Architecture
In 1927, Mies van der Rohe curated an exhibition in Stuttgart that showcased the work of Europe’s leading modern architects. What was this exhibition called?
Villa Tugendhat
Villa Tugendhat
Weissenhof Estate houses
Weissenhof Estate houses
The 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments
The 860–880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments
The Farnsworth House
The Farnsworth House
Villa Tugendhat, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its use of onyx and open floor plan, is located in which city?
Brno, Czech Republic
Brno, Czech Republic
Dessau, Germany
Dessau, Germany
Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria
To distinguish the Farnsworth House from the ground, what structural feature did Mies incorporate to elevate the steel-framed home?
A concrete block foundation
A concrete block foundation
A solid stone podium
A solid stone podium
Eight steel columns
Eight steel columns
A structural wooden frame
A structural wooden frame
In which decade was the construction of the iconic Seagram Building completed?
1930s
1930s
1960s
1960s
1950s
1950s
1940s
1940s
What architectural technique did Mies van der Rohe use on the Seagram Building to express the structure of the frame on the exterior?
Attaching non-structural bronze I-beams to the exterior facade
Attaching non-structural bronze I-beams to the exterior facade
Using decorative load-bearing stone arches
Using decorative load-bearing stone arches
Enclosing the entire exterior in thick reinforced concrete
Enclosing the entire exterior in thick reinforced concrete
Leaving the structural steel columns completely exposed on the outside
Leaving the structural steel columns completely exposed on the outside
Mies van der Rohe was born in which German city in 1886?
Berlin
Berlin
Aachen
Aachen
Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Munich
Munich
Which building designed by Mies on the Illinois Institute of Technology campus is celebrated for its column-free interior space?
The Bacardi Office Building
The Bacardi Office Building
Neue Nationalgalerie
Neue Nationalgalerie
Crown Hall
Crown Hall
The Glass House
The Glass House
In which city is Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie, which opened in 1968, located?
New York
New York
Berlin
Berlin
Chicago
Chicago
Barcelona
Barcelona
Before establishing his own practice, Mies van der Rohe worked in the studio of which influential German architect and industrial designer?
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Peter Behrens
Peter Behrens
Walter Gropius
Walter Gropius
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
What type of stone was used for the base (plinth) of the Barcelona Pavilion?
Limestone
Limestone
Travertine
Travertine
Sandstone
Sandstone
Granite
Granite
What was the original birth name of the architect known as Mies van der Rohe?
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Michael Mies
Ludwig Michael Mies
Maria Ludwig Michael Mies
Maria Ludwig Michael Mies
Ludwig Mies Rohe
Ludwig Mies Rohe
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