Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969) was a German-American architect and a pioneer of modernist architecture, known for his "less is more" philosophy. As the last director of the Bauhaus, he refined an elegant, minimalist style, using glass, steel, and open-plan spaces. His masterpieces include the Barcelona Pavilion, the Seagram Building in New York, and the Farnsworth House. Mies’s work emphasized clarity, simplicity, and structural purity, influencing mid-century modernism. His teachings at the Illinois Institute of Technology helped shape generations of architects, solidifying his legacy as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century architecture.