Prof. Dr. Aya Soika Publishes Book on Mies van der Rohe’s Unrealized Exhibition Hall for the 1935 Brussels World Fair

Professor Dr. Aya Soika has recently published a small book titled “Mies van der Rohe in the Third Reich: The Brussels Project, 1934,” as part of the Mies van der Rohe Haus's publication series. The illustrated volume delves into the complexities of the architect's career in the years 1933 until 1938, focusing on his design for the German Pavilion at the 1935 World Fair in Brussels.

It tells the remarkable commissioning history of the project in the context of the uncertainties surrounding the direction of cultural politics in the first years after Hitler’s seizure of power: commissioned in June 1934 by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Mies’ design of the large exhibition hall was meant to showcase a ‘new’ National Socialist Germany to an international audience. While adhering to elements characteristic of Mies’ 1920s modernist style (the use of a flat roof, and of glass and brick), the pavilion’s monumental size—together with its interior sections curated by Goebbels’ ministry—reflected the Nazi regime's claim to representation. Not surprisingly, Mies van der Rohe’s design was ultimately rejected by Adolf Hitler. The architect was only able to resume his career after his move to Chicago in 1938, becoming an American citizen in 1944 and completing iconic building projects such as Farnsworth House (1951) or the Seagram Building in New York City (1958).

For more information on her publications, visit the Mies van der Rohe Haus website.

Post Date: 10-11-2024