The Seagram Building and the skyscraper's second life. Mies's lectures at IIT

Applying the principles explored in Chicago to the office sphere, Mies van der Rohe revolutionized Manhattan's urban landscape with the Seagram Building (1954-58). A tall stele whose façade is punctuated by bronze mullions, this tower rises above a forecourt extending Park Avenue, defining an urban figure whose success was to be widespread. At the same time, his teaching at IIT enabled him to pursue his research through the work of his students, which fed into that of an increasingly active agency.