In his new book, professor Edgar Stach unlocks the relationship between space and construction by analyzing key works from famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s extensive oeuvre, spanning from Europe in the 1920s to the United States in the late 1960s.

The just-released “Mies van der Rohe: Space – Material – Detail” (Birkhäuser) features original drawings and sketches from Mies, 70 color illustrations and 300 mostly three-dimensional drawings produced by Stach and his students at Jefferson (Philadelphia University + Thomas Jefferson University). This publication is the first in a book series conceptualized by Stach, who also authored the essays and designed the layout. (The second book, “Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Space – Material – Light,” will be out by fall 2018.)

“Philosophy and construction merge in Mies’ work, and he considered his buildings objective translations of philosophical propositions,” Stach explained. “His work is remembered for its timeless integration of place, space, construction and materiality in its purest form. As an architect and educator, I embrace his philosophy of ‘less is more’ and believe in the purity of structure, form and proportion as underlying principles of architectural design.”

“Mies van der Rohe: Space – Material – Detail” is now available in German and English at bookstores and online retailers.