Architectures of silk and velvet
Ephemeral and durable in the designs of Lilly Reich and Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe
Abstract
The essay explores the collaboration between Lilly Reich and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, focusing on their mutual influence in Exhibition Design between 1926 and 1933. Mies, particularly after the Stuttgart Exhibition of 1927, enriched his architectural theory with insights that Reich had explored in her exhibitions for the Werkbund. With her innovative use of textile materials such as velvet and silk, Reich helped give exhibition design more excellent disciplinary autonomy, influencing Mies's more permanent architecture. Her ability to treat space as a sensory composition, as seen in the Café Samt und Seide, shows how her work brought Mies closer to the ephemeral themes, leaving a profound mark on 20th-century design.
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