Blueprints for Iconic Mies van der Rohe Building to Sell at Rivich Auction

In the years between World Wars I and II, German-born architect and designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe found himself at the forefront of the avant-garde Modernist movement. Like many of his contemporaries, the designer (known mononymously as “Mies”) sought a new architecture style for the industrial era. Mies began designing stripped-back buildings defined by exposed glass, bold planes, and Bauhaus-style functionality. He immigrated to the United States in 1937 after experiencing pressure from the Nazis for his Modernist ideas. Mies settled in Chicago, IL and would go on to reshape the city’s skyline and architectural culture. 

The upcoming Important Estates: Mid Century & Jewelry sale from Rivich Auction will feature several blueprints and drawings by Mies van der Rohe, most notably a blueprint for the S. R. Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture (lot #0123). The blueprint comes to auction with an estimate of USD 2,000 to $3,000. 

Mies van der Rohe was appointed head of the architecture school at the Armour Institute of Technology upon settling in Chicago. The school would later be renamed the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). As part of his role, Mies was charged with designing the campus and buildings. He saw it as an opportunity to push American architecture in a new direction. While most American colleges still favored neo-Gothic building designs at that time, Mies envisioned a campus that embraced technology and Modernism. “Wherever technology reaches its real fulfillment, it transcends into architecture,” he said in a 1950 speech. 

For most of the buildings at IIT, Mies utilized exposed steel frames filled in with brick and glass. However, he decided to try something different for Crown Hall, which was to be the campus jewel. The school had purchased and destroyed an apartment building, displacing its middle-class Black tenants, to make way for the expansion. Mies designed Crown Hall to embody his ideal that “less is more,” eliminating interior columns and light-blocking walls. The resulting structure was composed of steel beams and a glass exterior. Crown Hall is a single large room, which Mies intended to foster creative collaborations.

Crown Hall is now recognized as a Chicago Landmark and is included in the National Register of Historic Places; the building is often noted as one of Mies’ masterpieces. The available blueprint comes to auction from the estate of mid-century architects who worked under Mies van der Rohe. It includes 27 pages that describe the floor plan, materials, and other aspects of the building. The plan is dated 10-15-54, with Mies listed as the primary architect (Pace Associates of Chicago, IL are noted as Associate Architects).

This sale includes blueprints for several other important Chicago buildings. Harry Weese’s blueprint for the Time-Life Building (now known as 541 North Fairbanks Court) is particularly notable (lot #0124; estimate: $1,000 – $2,000). The 30-story skyscraper was among the first buildings in the United States to use double-deck elevators. Also available are the blueprints for Lake Point Tower, a residential skyscraper located east of Lake Shore Drive (lot #0126; estimate: $1,000 – $2,000). The tower was designed by John Heinrich and George Schipporeit, both students of Mies van der Rohe. 

The Important Estates: Mid Century & Jewelry sale from Rivich Auction will start at 11:00 AM EDT on September 24, 2023. To view the complete catalog and register to bid, visit Bidsquare. 

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