Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe redefined Modernism with his mantra 'less is more,' embodied in the Barcelona Pavilion (1929) and the Seagram Building (1958), the latter costing $36 million and setting the standard for minimalist skyscrapers. As director of the Bauhaus (1930-33), he trained a generation of architects and later pioneered the use of steel and glass at the Illinois Institute of Technology. His rigorous precision ensures that the Farnsworth House (1951) remains a benchmark for transparent living spaces.