Architetture di seta e velluto. Effimero e durevole negli allestimenti di Lilly Reich e Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe

Abstract

The paper explores the collaboration between Lilly Reich and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, focusing on their mutual influence in the field of exhibition design between 1926 and 1933. Mies, particularly after the Stuttgart Exhibition of 1927, enriched his architectural theory with insights Reich had explored in the exhibitions created for the Werkbund. Through her innovative use of textile materials such as velvet and silk, Reich helped give exhibition design more disciplinary autonomy, influencing Mies's more enduring architecture. Her ability to treat space as a sensory composition, as seen in the Café Samt und Seide, demonstrates how her work brought Mies closer to themes of the ephemeral, leaving a profound mark on 20th-century design.