Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, Preliminary version: plan
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
American, born Germany. 1886–1969
1945-51
An ink-on-paper architectural plan for Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House that maps the minimalist glass-and-steel pavilion, its terraces, and placement within the surrounding landscape.
You first notice the precise, measured rectilinear house and grid-like terraces rendered in crisp lines, floating amid loosely drawn, organic tree canopies that make the empty space around the building feel intentional and charged.
The drawing embodies mid‑century modernism’s ideals—structural clarity, open plan, and integration with nature—and helped define the glass‑pavilion archetype that transformed twentieth‑century residential design.
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
30 x 40" (76.2 x 101.6 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Mies van der Rohe Archive, gift of the architect
Accession
737.1963
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
