As a child he spent a lot of time in his father's stonemason workshop, and then learned the profession of bricklayer. He also had the opportunity to work in the architectural studio of Peter Behrens, where he met the most innovative architects living in those times. Soon after, he became a promoter of steel and glass architecture. The artist, despite the fact that he had no formal education, is considered one of the most outstanding architects of the twentieth century and the precursor of modern architecture.

Mies van der Rohe’s furniture was created in cooperation with Lilly Reich – interior designer and life partner of the artist. As a furniture designer, he combined modern technologies and traditional luxurious materials.

The Mies van der Rohe Award, with the artist as its patron, is one of the most prestigious in the field of contemporary architecture. It is also sometimes called the architectural Nobel. The Mies van der Rohe Award was given to the Philharmonic building in Szczecin in 2015 for its technical and constructional qualities, among others.