Mies Society and College of Architecture will once again toast the holidays and winter solstice at The Berghoff on this near-shortest day of the year with this long-standing end-of-year tradition. Walk through the outdoor public space to admire Alexander Calder’s Flamingo and Mies’ Chicago Federal Center immediately adjacent. You can find more information about Mies’ Federal Center buildings here. Join and toast this festive occasion with us! Space is limited.

Hilb’s Day is a longstanding Illinois Tech tradition to celebrate the shortest day of the year. Ludwig K. Hilberseimer (1885–1967) was a German architect and urban planner best known for his ties to the Bauhaus and Mies van der Rohe. He was founder and chair of Illinois Tech’s Department of City and Regional Planning where he taught from 1938 until his passing in 1967. At Illinois Tech, he developed a universal, adaptable system, which planned for the darkest day of the year (“Hilb’s Day”) in order to produce environments with as much light as possible.

(Left) The Berghoff
(Right) Image courtesy of Archival Image Collection, Ryerson & Burnham Archives, Art Institute of Chicago; Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Ludwig Hilberseimer studying early architectural models of IIT Campus, circa 1940.

Place: The Berghoff
17 W. Adams Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Date: Wednesday, December 18
Time: 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Cost: $45/person with cash bar

Chicago Architecture Center’s popular tour access to Mies Campus boasts 20 Mies-designed buildings and more set against an exquisite fall foliage! Embark on a guided walking tour to view historic buildings influenced by almost a millennium of ever-evolving architectural styles from Romanesque to the Mies-pioneered mid-century modern to the more recent, contemporary style by the likes of the late Helmut Jahn, Rem Koolhaas, and Chicago architect John Ronan. Tour access will include S. R. Crown Hall (Crown Hall; 1956)*, Robert F. Carr Memorial Chapel of St. Savior (Carr Chapel; 1952)**—both by architect Mies van der Rohe, and the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship (Kaplan Institute; 2017)*** by John Ronan.

Rowe Family College of Architecture Dean Endowed Chair Reed Kroloff and Mies van der Rohe Society Director Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings during the tour. Tour will begin promptly at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 19 at Crown Hall.

Find more information on Open House Chicago here.

Meeting place: S. R. Crown Hall
3360 S. State Street (enter through the north side of the building)
Date: Saturday, October 19
Time: 11 a.m.

*S. R. Crown Hall (1956): By consensus the most architecturally significant building on Mies Campus and a National Historic Landmark designated in 2001, Crown Hall was designed to provide a single large room for the school of architecture and city planning’s 300 students and doubles as a universal space that could be endlessly adapted to new uses.

**Robert F. Carr Memorial Chapel of St. Savior (1952): As Mies’ only ecclesiastical work, Carr Chapel is fondly referred to as “the God Box” by our students.

***The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship (2017): This 70,000-square-foot state of the art innovation center is organized around two open-air courtyards; sustainably oriented and touting a second floor that cantilevers over the first providing sun shading, this dynamic façade of ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, a fluorine-based film) regulates solar energy entering the building through sophisticated pneumatics and gives the building a light, cloud-like appearance.

Mies Society Director Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead tours of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings on campus by foot or via trolley. Exact tour departure points are forthcoming. You can find more updated information and registration for the Mies Campus walking/trolley tours by clicking the Learn More button below. For a map of Mies Campus, click here.

To register and to find more information about this and other Homecoming events, click here.

Meeting place: TBD
Date: Saturday, September 21
Time:
Walking Tour: noon
Trolley Tours: 2:15 and 4:15 p.m.

Join us with the Chicago Architecture Center and Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture for a compelling book launch, panel discussion, and reading from Edith Farnsworth’s memoirs.

Learn more from the author, Michelangelo Sabatino, professor, director of Ph.D. program in Architecture, and the inaugural John Vinci Distinguished Research Fellow, as well as a panel of distinguished speakers, including Mies’ grandson, Trustee Emeritus, and architect Dirk Lohan, FAIA, Lee Bey, and Elizabeth Blasius. While arguments are elemental to architecture, their histories may fade. Be enlightened with a reading on topic by architect of note, Jeannie Gang, founding partner of Studio Gang. Refreshments will be served. This is a ticketed event.

Place: Chicago Architecture Center
111 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Date: Tuesday, August 27
Time: 5:30–7:15 p.m.
Cost: $20 per person

for

Join us for an evening soirée of architectural tribute and storytelling by Mies’ students, enthusiasts, and scholars. Enjoy fabulous performances paired with delectable drinks and hor d’ œuvres culminating in the annual celebratory birthday cake and champagne toast given by Mies’ beloved grandson, Dirk Lohan, in the elegant setting of the Arts Club of Chicago, designed by architects Vinci Hamp Architects. The evening promises to indulge the senses and celebrate Mies, “the man and the legacy”!

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 | 6–9 p.m.

The Arts Club of Chicago
201 East Ontario Street, Chicago
(valet parking available on site)

Space is limited; please RSVP by March 29

In recent years, many have tried to “read the mind” of Mies to allow for an understanding of his basic philosophies. His passion for rich materials, surfaces, and textures reveals a creative mind equally preoccupied with the way materials come together. Mies was also a great collaborator, known often to come together with his students, colleagues, family, and friends. Mies was known to rarely say “I”—it was always “we”.

In the mid-nineteen sixties, the seismic shift in the understanding of Eastern meditation, music, and spirituality was inadvertently popularized by the Beatles through a longing for inner meaning and world peace. During this period, Mies continued to design beautiful buildings around the world, but his lessons went far beyond aesthetics and into the psychology of environment and rules of perception. Knowing the interrelationship between culture and art, meditation, and the search for peace, we invite you to come together to witness beauty, culture, and emotion through architecture and artistic performances. Come celebrate this sensual and joyous occasion of Mies’ 138th birthday together with us!

Co-Chairs:
Jasclyn (BA ‘83) and Michael Glynn (B.ARCH ‘82)

Steering Committee:
Zurich Esposito, Alex Krikhaar (B.ARCH. ‘91, M.S. ‘94), Reed Kroloff, Dirk Lohan (Alum), Caroline Moellering, John Morley, Kathy Nagle, Ed Polich (B.ARCH. ‘79), Mark Sexton (B.ARCH ‘80), George Sorich (B.ARCH ‘86),

Sponsors:
Margaret and David Hensler (Travertine)

Birthday Hosts:
Dirk Denison (B.ARCH. ‘83, M.B.A. ‘85) and David Salkin
Jasclyn (BA ‘83) and Michael Glynn (B.ARCH ‘82)
Barbi and Thomas Donnelley II
Dirk Lohan (Alum)
Caroline Moellering

Hosts:
Prue and Francis Beidler III
Barbi and Thomas Donnelley II
Chandra Goldsmith Gray and Stephen Gray
Trine and Robert Theel (B.ARCH ‘83)
Nancy and Edward Polich (B.ARCH. ‘79)
Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17) and Keith R. Olsen, Sr. (B.ARCH ‘70)
Chris Pemberton
Mark Sexton (B.ARCH ‘80) and Catherine Bajor
Doreen and Steve Weiss (B.ARCH ‘73)
Zurich Esposito and Brian McCormick
Reed Kroloff and Casey Jones

Birthday Gifts (a special thank you to those who have given a birthday gift to support the Mies Society):
Jong Soung Kimm (B.ARCH. ‘61, M.ARCH. ‘64)
Edward Polich (B.ARCH. ‘79)

Completed in 1964, just following his tenure as the director of the College of Architecture here at Illinois Institute of Technology, the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse (commonly referred to as the Dirksen Federal Building) highlights the architectural legacy of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. This special access program will relate on how his architecture—deeply steeped in Bauhaus tradition—continues to play a pivotal role in fostering a conducive environment for justice and harmony in our democracy today and will take place inside the Ceremonial Courtroom, a space rarely seen by the general public.

An optional, paid reception at The Berghoff, one of Chicago's oldest restaurants, will take place before the program from 4:30 to 6 p.m. that includes hors d'oeuvres with a cash bar.

Optional Reception
Time: 4:30 pm - 6:00 p.m.
Place: Berghoff Restaurant (Main Public Bar, Ground Floor)
17 W. Adams, Chicago, IL
Security Check-in
Time: 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Place: Dirksen Federal Center (Ground Floor)
219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL.
Program
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Ceremonial Courtroom, Dirksen Federal Center

*No photography, recordings, food or drink in the Courtroom are allowed.

The event is co-hosted by Fox Swibel Levin & Carroll LLP, courtesy of Mies Society Board Member Daniel Dorfman.

Hilb's Day is a longstanding Illinois Tech tradition to celebrate the shortest day of the year. Ludwig K. Hilberseimer (1885–1967) was a German architect and urban planner best known for his ties to the Bauhaus and Mies van der Rohe. He was founder and chair of Illinois Tech’s Department of City and Regional Planning where he taught from 1938 until his passing in 1967. At Illinois Tech, he developed a universal, adaptable system, which planned for the darkest day of the year (“Hilb’s Day”) in order to produce environments with as much light as possible.

Every year this event is held “live” in the Carr Chapel, but this year it is going to be conducted virtually via ZOOM to allow all friends locally, nationally and internationally to toast Professor Hilberseimer on December 13!

Jong Soung Kimm (ARCH ‘61, M.S. ARCH ‘64), FAIA, FKIA, a Seoul-based architect and a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society Board, will present his 5th and the last photographic essay in the traversal of Medieval building art in Europe.

After his earlier volumes on Germany and Belgium, Spain and Portugal, Italy and Croatia, and France the series now comes to an end by crossing the English Channel to present Norman and Gothic architecture in the United Kingdom.

Durham Cathedral, along with other Norman masterpieces such as the cathedrals of Ely, Gloucester and Peterborough, as well as Salisbury, Lincoln and Wells Cathedrals and York Minster, unquestioned achievements by Gothic builders, are dealt with in detail.

Canterbury Cathedral is accorded prominence given its storied martyr in Thomas à Becket as well as the spectacular sexpartite vaulting of its choir. Finally, King’s College Chapel at Cambridge University graces the last chapter as an end note to the decade-long journey.

Director, Mies van der Rohe Society Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead a tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings on campus. This tour will begin promptly at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 15 at S. R. Crown Hall (3360 S State St, Chicago, IL).

Carr Chapel will be open from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and S. R. Crown Hall will be open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 15

Director, Mies van der Rohe Society Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH. ʼ01, Ph.D. ʼ17) will lead a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus and highlight the architectural significance of the buildings on campus.

Walking tour will begin at the Michael Paul Galvin Tower and conclude at Hermann Hall.

Registration for the Mies Campus Walking Tour is part of the main Homecoming registration form.

Join the Illinois Tech Alumni Association for a Meet and Greet with Kenneth T. Christensen! We’ll delve into the world of Illinois Tech’s enrollment projections for fall 2023, discover exciting new educational partnerships, and gain valuable insights into our current university initiatives.

The book, Living with Mies, features the photography of Arina Dähnick.

This is a ticketed event. Dinner will be served accompanied by a cash bar.

Please join us for a special double celebration of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s 137th birthday and Mies Society’s 20th anniversary!

Enjoy hors d’œuvres, live jazz, birthday cake, and a champagne toast at The Arts Club of Chicago—located at 201 East Ontario Street—beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19.

Evening highlights will include:

• A sneak peek of famed film producer Katherine Lo’s documentary on Mies and his grandson—and Trustee Emeritus—Dirk Lohan (ALUM), FAIA

• A presentation on the design of The Arts Club from John Vinci (ARCH ’60), FAIA, a Chicago-based American architect known for the architectural preservation of historic buildings in addition to new designs

• Insights on the transformative reuse of Mies‘ designed staircase from the previous Arts Club of Chicago to this current one by architect Alex Krikhaar, (ARCH ‘91, M.S. ‘94), AIA. Alex is a Mies Society Board member and Principal at Vinci Hamp Architects

• A tribute to Mies Society board members who continue to illuminate Mies and the founding mission of our organization

Ascend Mies’ eloquent staircase at The Arts Club and toast Mies’ incredible contributions to architecture and the built environment at Illinois Tech, Chicago, and beyond.

Chic cocktail attire requested. Valet parking will be available.

Space for this event is limited.

Co-chairs

Caroline Moellering*
George Sorich (ARCH ’86), AIA

Host Committee

Tim Anderson (ARCH ’79)
Prue Beidler*
Dirk Denison (ARCH ’85, M.B.A. ’85), FAIA
Barbi Donnelley*
Daniel Dorfman 
Zurich Esposito
Allayna Gagnard
Jasclyn Glynn (BAC ’83)*
Michael Glynn (ARCH ’84)*
Chandra Goldsmith Gray
Peri Irmer (ARCH ’81)
Ralph Johnson, FAIA & Kathleen Nagle
Jong Soung Kimm (ARCH ’64, M.S. ’64), FAIA, FKIA
Knoll*
Alex Krikhaar (ARCH ’91, M.S. ’94), AIA

*Denotes table host

On March 30, 2023 the Mies van der Rohe Society, Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program students of Mindful Modern Buildings (Spring/Fall 2022 and Spring 2023), and the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology hosted a gallery showing, live performances, and reception in the west lobby and auditorium of the Michael Paul Galvin Tower located at 10 W. 35th Street in Chicago.

Event highlights include live piano and violin performance by acclaimed VanderCook College of Music faculty and musicians, Yang and Olivia, and dance recital by Alberto Velazquez and Amanda Assucena, world-renowned artists from The Joffrey Ballet Chicago.

Mies Society’s current fundraising project—and the subject of the IPRO Program course, MIndful Modern Buildings taught by Mies Society Director Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.A.S. ARCH ’01, Ph.D. ’17)—is the rehabilitation of the west lobby gallery space and auditorium located inside of the Michael Paul Galvin Tower. Through human-centered design and student collaboration from multidisciplinary backgrounds, the project will breathe life into these underutilized spaces on Mies Campus and encourage educational, cultural, and artful events to unite communities and demonstrate how interrelated the arts and architecture are.

Mies van der Rohe Society + NORR present

Please join the Mies van der Rohe Society and NORR for a post-workday reception and celebration of the work and legacy of John Moutoussamy (B.ARCH ’48), FAIA. NORR, a fully integrated architecture and engineering firm, has graciously opened their doors and sponsored this event to take place in their downtown Chicago office.

John Moutoussamy + NORR

John Moutoussamy (B.ARCH ’48), FAIA, was one of the first—and most influential—African American architects to work with a large firm not only in Chicago, but in the entire country. He was a graduate of the Illinois Tech College of Architecture, protégé of Mies van der Rohe, and was managing partner at Dubin, Dubin and Moutoussamy (DD&M), formerly Dubin, Dubin, Black and Moutoussamy (DDB&M), a significant architectural design firm in the city for many decades, and a predecessor firm to the NORR Chicago office.

In a distinguished career spanning multiple decades, Moutoussamy designed many notable and iconic buildings in Chicago. In 1971, Moutoussamy designed the headquarters building for the Johnson Publishing Company on Michigan Avenue, which is still the only high-rise company headquarters designed by an African American for an African American owned company. The building was awarded the Chicago Landmark designation in 2017.

Mies van der Rohe + NORR

NORR’s connection with the Office of Mies van der Rohe goes back about 60 years. When the Office of Mies van der Rohe set out to design the Toronto-Dominion Centre, they collaborated with the Toronto-based firm of John B. Parkin Associates, the predecessor firm of NORR in Toronto.

Toronto-Dominion Centre - John B. Parkin, NORR’s founder, was the local architect who began work with a joint venture of Toronto-Dominion Bank and the developer Cadillac Fairview to design Toronto-Dominion Centre as a part of a competition. Phyllis Lambert (M.S.ARCH ’63), a member of the Bronfman family that owned Cadillac Fairview, recommended Mies van der Rohe be added to the project design team. With Mies as the design consultant to John B. Parkin Associates, the project showcased Mies' design that married all of the key characteristics of his unique style with the strength of Parkin’s architectural diligence and contextual understanding. This project demonstrated the power of collaboration in design and architectural construction. Mies and his design gave the project the added significance of being a symbol of Toronto's emergence as a major city. It also marked one of Mies' last major works before his passing in 1969.

John B. Parkin Associates later became NORR. The firm continues the longstanding traditions of its predecessor firms and is involved in the design and execution of large collaborative projects to this day.

About NORR

NORR is an employee-owned, fully integrated design firm. Our professional team of 800 architects, engineers, planners and interior designers work collaboratively across 12 market sectors from offices located in the US, Canada, UK and UAE.

Founded in 1938, NORR has a rich legacy and diversified portfolio across North America and throughout the world. Our US growth includes the merger of the legacy firm of Dubin, Dubin and Moutoussamy in 2010, becoming the NORR Chicago office of today.

It is with this connected history to IIT, John Moutoussamy and the legacy of Mies van der Rohe that we welcome our colleagues and architecture enthusiasts for this celebration.

Saturday, December 17 is your last chance to view the exhibit Myron Goldsmith: Structural Architecture at David Salkin Creative. This gallery event is free to attend.

View sketchbooks and collages of architect and engineer, Myron Goldsmith (B.ARCH ‘39, M.S. ‘53). A student of Mies van der Rohe and Pier Luigi Nervi, he designed 40 projects at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill from 1955 to 1983 including 3 at Illinois Tech. His last 16 years at the firm he was a general partner in its Chicago office while teaching at the IIT College of Architecture, developing the advanced program in high-rise and long-span structures.

The Mies van der Rohe Society, in partnership with the IIT College of Architecture, will hold a celebration of light for the winter solstice, featuring the music of J.S. Bach with notable artists and a presentation of our Mies Campus by Ron Henderson, director of landscape architecture + urbanism, and Chandra Goldsmith, landscape architect and adjunct faculty member.

Hilb’s Day is a longstanding Illinois Tech tradition to celebrate the shortest day of the year. Ludwig K. Hilberseimer (1885–1967) was a German architect and urban planner best known for his ties to the Bauhaus and Mies van der Rohe. He was founder and chair of Illinois Tech’s Department of City and Regional Planning where he taught from 1938 until his passing in 1967. At Illinois Tech, he developed a universal, adaptable system, which planned for the darkest day of the year (“Hilb’s Day”) in order to produce environments with as much light as possible.

This event is free to attend with a suggested donation of $25.

Jong Soung Kimm (ARCH ‘61, M.S. ARCH ‘64), FAIA, FKIA, a Seoul-based architect and a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society Board, will be giving a presentation of his new book: Early Medieval and Romanesque Architecture Photo Essay - France, at The Cliff Dwellers Club.

Fascinated by architectural space and historical continuity, Kimm has visited and photographed outstanding Romanesque churches and monasteries since 2002. Through concise text and rich photographs, he has compiled his travels into a series of books published by Wasmuth & Zohlen, successor to Ernst Wasmuth Verlag.

Tickets to attend this presentation and accompanying dinner are $38. Reservations must be made in advance by calling The Cliff Dwellers Club at (312) 922-8080 or emailing reservations@cliff-chicago.org.

Join the Mies Society and the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) for an architecture boat cruise of downtown Chicago. Attendees are invited to tour the CAC at 2:30 p.m. before joining the boat cruise at 4 p.m. Space for this event is limited.

Can't get enough of Mies van der Rohe or the CAC? You're in luck! A special panel discussion focused on Roger Brown and Miesian Metropolitanism will be taking place at the CAC at 6:00 pm the same evening, August 11. Click here to purchase your ticket.

Dirk Lohan will discuss his personal and professional experiences with renowned German-American architect, and his grandfather, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

In partnership with the Mies van der Rohe Society, Illinois Institute of Technology, the Washington Architectural Foundation, and the DC Public Library Foundation, the DC Public Library is pleased to host a presentation by Dirk Lohan, FAIA, noted Chicago architect and grandson of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Lohan will discuss his personal and professional experiences with the renowned German-American architect, regarded as one of the pioneers of modernist architecture.

Lohan began to record his conversations with Mies in the summer of 1969. The tapes, recorded during the final weeks of Mies’ life, captured some of the architect’s very last words. “We had lively discussions on those evenings about our work, my daily life and his experiences during his long career,” says Lohan. “When we talked about his life in Germany, we spoke German with each other, while American projects were discussed in English...it occurred to me that a practical solution might be to purchase a tape recorder and simply record our talks, not least as a resource for future researchers.”

A recent publication, The Lost, Last Words of Mies van der Rohe: The Lohan Tapes from 1969, has been edited and annotated by Fritz Neumeyer. The book features a foreword by Lohan and an introductory essay by Fritz Neumeyer, one of the world’s foremost scholars on Mies, exploring Mies’ early career and his architectural way of thinking.

A special thank you to Mies Society members Margaret and David Hensler for their generous sponsorship of this event!

Join the Mies van der Rohe Society and The National Hellenic Museum as we explore the blend of classical influences and constructivist form in Mies van der Rohe’s architecture, with a special focus on how he folded the two together at Illinois Institute of Technology–which houses the largest collection of his buildings.

A reception with light refreshments and drinks will immediately follow the program.

Proof of vaccination is required for all in-person attendees.

SPECIAL REMARKS BY

SPEAKERS

Thank you to our partners

During this event, you consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and you consent to any minor children accompanying you to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent (and consent for any accompanying minor children) to such photography, filming and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media, throughout the universe, in perpetuity, of your (and your accompanying minor child’s) appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever, including commercial purposes, in connection with the Illinois Institute of Technology and National Hellenic Museum. You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent given by you by entering the Museum. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please notify staff when you arrive.

Join us in advancing Mies’ legacy and become a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society or make a gift today!

Join Mies Society director and Illinois Tech alumna, Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), for a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus.

Mies Campus was named one of “America’s most beautiful college campuses” (Forbes), with buildings carefully placed within a native landscape of trees, meadows, and wide open spaces. Much of the landscape was designed by Alfred Caldwell, Illinois Tech alumnus and long-time faculty member, who worked alongside Mies to create Mies’ vision of “a campus in a park”.

These tours are exclusive to Mies Society members and their guests. Not a member yet? Consider joining today!

Join Mies Society director and Illinois Tech alumna, Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), for a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus.

Mies Campus was named one of “America’s most beautiful college campuses” (Forbes), with buildings carefully placed within a native landscape of trees, meadows, and wide open spaces. Much of the landscape was designed by Alfred Caldwell, Illinois Tech alumnus and long-time faculty member, who worked alongside Mies to create Mies’ vision of “a campus in a park”.

These tours are exclusive to Mies Society members and their guests. Not a member yet? Consider joining today!

Thank you to all our alumni and friends who joined the Mies van der Rohe Society, and Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, to celebrate Mies’ 136th birthday and our successful fundraising efforts to rebuild the South Porch and steps of S.R. Crown Hall. Architect T. Gunny Harboe, FAIA, spoke about the current stage of the project at the event.

The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize exhibit was displayed at the event, with thought provoking architectural projects from North, South, and Central America.

Venetia Stifler and Concert Dance Inc. performed a brief dance as a crescendo to Dirk Lohan’s yearly toast to his grandfather, Mies.

Additionally, the Mies Society announced our new fundraising project, Mies van der Rohe Society Gallery for Illinois Institute of Technology Campus & History and Auditorium. The project was the subject of the Spring IPRO, Mindful Modern Building, taught by Mies Society Director, Cynthia Vranas Olsen. Students presented their ideas at the event.

Join us in advancing Mies’ legacy and become a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society or make a gift today!

If you would like to be able to comment or submit a question during the event, please view it directly on YouTube.

The Mies van der Rohe Society, in partnership with Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, invite you to the next installment of the Interiors series highlighting the work of Florence Knoll (ARCH ‘41) and her relationship with Mies. Join Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M. ARCH ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), director of the Mies van der Rohe Society, Reed Kroloff, Rowe Family College of Architecture Dean Endowed Chair, and friends from Knoll as they lead us through a virtual gallery exploring the relationship between Mies and Knoll.

The Mies van der Rohe Society is proud to announce their new fundraising project at the event, which will rehabilitate the Michael Paul Galvin Tower (West Lobby) into the Mies van der Rohe Society Gallery for Illinois Institute of Technology Campus & History, as well as the auditorium. The mission of this project is to foster creativity and encourage gathering, whether virtual or live, into spaces that are underutilized on Mies Campus. The project will provide artistic, cultural, and educational opportunities for Illinois Tech, the Bronzeville community–and beyond!

Join us in advancing Mies’ legacy and become a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society or make a gift today!

Join Mies Society director and Illinois Tech alumna, Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), for a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus.

Mies Campus was named one of “America’s most beautiful college campuses” (Forbes), with buildings carefully placed within a native landscape of trees, meadows, and wide open spaces. Much of the landscape was designed by Alfred Caldwell, Illinois Tech alumnus and long-time faculty member, who worked alongside Mies to create Mies’ vision of “a campus in a park”.

These tours are exclusive to Mies Society members and their guests. Not a member yet? Consider joining today!

Join Mies Society director and Illinois Tech alumna, Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), for a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus.

Mies Campus was named one of “America’s most beautiful college campuses” (Forbes), with buildings carefully placed within a native landscape of trees, meadows, and wide open spaces. Much of the landscape was designed by Alfred Caldwell, Illinois Tech alumnus and long-time faculty member, who worked alongside Mies to create Mies’ vision of “a campus in a park”.

These tours are exclusive to Mies Society members and their guests. Not a member yet? Consider joining today!

Join Mies Society director and Illinois Tech alumna, Cynthia Vranas Olsen (M.ARCH. ‘01, Ph.D. ‘17), for a walking tour of Illinois Tech’s Mies Campus.

Mies Campus was named one of “America’s most beautiful college campuses” (Forbes), with buildings carefully placed within a native landscape of trees, meadows, and wide open spaces. Much of the landscape was designed by Alfred Caldwell, Illinois Tech alumnus and long-time faculty member, who worked alongside Mies to create Mies’ vision of “a campus in a park”.

These tours are exclusive to Mies Society members and their guests. Not a member yet? Consider joining today!

In partnership with The Arts Club of Chicago, the Mies Society presented a conversation and book signing with Dirk Lohan (Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture Alumnus, FAIA) to celebrate the publication of The Lost, Last Words of Mies van der Rohe: The Lohan Tapes from 1969, edited and annotated by Fritz Neumeyer.

Lohan began to record his conversations with his grandfather Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the summer of 1969. The tapes, recorded during the final weeks of Mies’ life, captured some of the architect’s very last words. Says Lohan, “We had lively discussions on those evenings about our work, my daily life and his experiences during his long career. When we talked about his life in Germany, we spoke German with each other, while American projects were discussed in English...it occurred to me that a practical solution might be to purchase a tape recorder and simply record our talks, not least as a resource for future researchers.”

The book features a foreword by Lohan and an introductory essay by Fritz Neumeyer, one of the world’s foremost scholars on Mies, exploring Mies’ early career and his architectural way of thinking.

Join us in advancing Mies’ legacy and become a member of the Mies van der Rohe Society or make a gift today!