New architect building at Indiana University is inspired by architect Ludwig Mies van der Roh

Construction is underway for the Mies Building for the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. 

The university says the concept for the building comes from architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is regarded as one of the founders of modern architecture.

The architect had designed a similar building for the Bloomington campus in the 1950s, but it was never built. 

The original design was a 10,000-square-foot, two-story building, with floor-to-ceiling windows that wrapped around the entire second story. Those details will now be incorporated in the new building.

Much of the lower level is open to the air, and the main story is elevated above the ground plane. Another unique feature of the building is a central exterior square atrium.

The building will provide the school with spaces for lectures, workshops, student collaborations and offices in a central location.

This new building is part of a $20 million gift to the school from Sidney and Lois Eskenazi, who are Indianapolis-based philanthropists. 

Thomas Phifer and Partners is the architect.