Mies van der Rohe – 1:1 Modell Golfclubhaus
In the picturesque landscape surrounding the former industrial hub of Krefeld, Germany, an architectural marvel has come to life. Robbrecht en Daem architecten have breathed life into a long-forgotten gem – a striking temporary pavilion inspired by a 1930 golf course clubhouse design by the iconic Mies van der Rohe. This exquisite creation, which never saw the light of day until now, owes its existence to Christiane Lange, an art historian and curator for Projekt MIK. Lange, driven by her passion for history and architectural innovation, uncovered a treasure trove of historical sketches within the Mies van der Rohe Archive at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
The result of this collaboration is a temporary installation by Robbrecht en Daem architecten, open for public admiration from May 27th to October 31st, 2013, right at the original site where Mies envisioned his masterpiece. This architectural wonder, spanning 84 by 87 meters, is predominantly crafted from wood, serving as a full-scale model that encapsulates the very essence of Mies’s architectural vision and spatial concepts.
Nestled in Krefeld, an industrial city on the outskirts of the Ruhr area, the pavilion joins the ranks of two other iconic Mies projects – Haus Esters and Haus Lange. These structures, characterized by their brick volumes and classical layouts, beautifully illustrate Mies’s transformative impact on Modernism.
Krefeld already boasted the early European gems of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s career – the twin marvels of Haus Esters and Haus Lange, dating from 1927 to 1930. These, along with several other Mies projects, an impressive collection of furniture, captivating exhibition scenographies, and the corporate building Verseidag, attest to Mies’s close ties with the textile industry in Krefeld during the interwar period.
The archive’s unique material for the clubhouse includes sketches that, despite their limited number, offer a compelling glimpse into Mies’s grand vision for the project. The design was part of a series of experiments exploring the spatial principles of the plan libre. The sketches unveil a spacious roof surface supported by graceful columns, harmonizing with a rhythmically designed floor and strategically positioned partitions that define the space.
For Christiane Lange, this one-of-a-kind archive material served as inspiration to curate an artistic endeavor that not only delves into Mies’s enduring connection with Krefeld’s silk industry but also raises pertinent questions about the relevance of Mies’s architectural legacy in contemporary practice. It was a challenge she threw at the talented Belgian architects, Robbrecht en Daem, who have brought Mies’s vision to life in a new and awe-inspiring interpretation, an objet d’architecture standing tall at the very birthplace of the original project.
#mies #architecture #inspiration
