1886 (Germany) -1969 (United States) Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect and is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of architecture. His ‘less-is-more’ approach to design became the gold standard for many generations of modern architecture. The simple forms and extravagant materials Mies van der Rohe used to design the Barcelona Pavilion have inspired many modern minimalist buildings including Capel Manor in Kent, England. “Less is more.”