the spiral-bound publication exhibits mild toning to pages, minor rubbing to foil cover, slight separation from and subsequent dog-earing of cover foil at edges and corners and minor creasing to binding holes. a limited edition of 125 copies were made. the museum of modern art, new york, which holds thousands of drawings by mies van der rohe, created this publication, celebrating some of "the most beautiful renderings of the century", shortly after the architect's death in 1969. according to the 1970 press release for this publication, the 31 plates in this spiral bound edition are printed from the original drawings, which were nearly all donated to the museum by mies directly. the release further clarifies that all of the represented projects were never realized, and that some of these images, "are among the most compelling architectural images ever.”

ludwig mies van der rohe (known primarily by his surname) was a highly prolific architect, considered by historians to be one of the most important of the 20th century and one whose work left a legacy in architectural theory. his designs were known for their emphasis on open spaces and function over ornamentation, and his favored materials were basic and utilitarian: steel, concrete, brick, and glass. mies studied with peter behrens, working alongside le corbusier and walter gropius; he also served as the director of bauhaus, and designed objects and furniture, including the iconic barcelona chair. he once told a graduating class of designers: “you have to build up the world you want to live in.”