One of the most famous architects of all time is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. And not far from one of his most significant buildings (the Neue Nationalgalerie), the exhibition Haus Lemke – The Furniture of Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich at the Museum of Decorative Arts focuses on one of his smaller houses, and the furniture that came with it. Built in 1932/33 in Alt-Hohenschönhausen on a lakeside plot, the building is now known as the Mies van der Rohe House. The exhibition isn’t particularly large, but it gives Mies fans exactly what they came for. Veneered built-in cabinets that fit into carefully curated white niches, a bed and an impressively long sofa, Thonet cantilever chairs, and, as was proper for the time, a sleek office setup in the finest tropical hardwood. (Most of the furniture designs are actually attributed to Lilly Reich and former collaborator Friedrich Hirz. In many of the work credits, Lilly Reich’s name appears with a question mark — a familiar story for women on the sidelines of Bauhaus men back then.) Written on the walls are large quotes like, “In the white-painted, almost empty room today stands only the few pieces of furniture absolutely necessary.” The best part of the show, though, is the context. During my visit, I had to search for it… in the basement and behind the Memphis Milano furniture, I finally found Mies.
And how much more inappropriate could it be than to place austere wooden furniture behind colorful shelves and playful chairs? Mies would have hated it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Strolling through the other floors, it quickly became clear that a visit to the Museum of Decorative Arts is always worth it. Highlights include: all the quirky medieval water vessels in animal shapes, the most delicate Venetian glassworks, the full white-and-pastel glory of Rococo porcelain, and, in general, vessels in every shape and form. So come for Mies, if you like, but stay for the rest, because the visit proves one thing: art and craftsmanship intersect in far more than just austere wooden furniture.
Text: Inga Krumme / Credits: Stephan Klonk; Haus Lemke, Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich (?), 1934/35, Photo: Max Krajewsky, Berlin, 1937
Museum of Decorative Arts, Matthäikirchplatz, 10785 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
Haus Lemke – The Furniture of Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich
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