Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's birthday celebrated by Google doodle

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a brilliant architect regarded as one of the fathers of modern architecture, was born on March 27, 1886. His buildings were very mature; he used steel and plate glass extensively to define spaces. Mies, as he was often called, thought that a minimalistic structure for buildings was the way to go. His father was a stone-carver and it was here and in several other design companies that he worked for before setting off for Berlin.

Mies was apprenticed to Peter Behrens for four years before his talent was recognized. In 1937 he had to flee his country and travel to the United States because the Nazis felt his designs were not "German" in character. There, he headed the department of architecture at the Armour Institute of Technology now known as the Illinois Institute of Technology.

His famous buildings include the Neue Nationalgalerie Art Museum in Berlin, the McCormick House in Illinois and the Seagram Building in New York City.

The building in the doodle is the Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology that houses its College of Architecture. Made of steel panes and glass, this building, is his masterpiece.

Mies passed away on August 17, 1969.