Crown Hall was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1956 as the home of the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture, which he led. One critic called it "the Parthenon of the 20th century." The building is possibly the most essential example of the International style of Modern architecture and truly embodies Mies's famous "less is more” philosophy. The structure is a steel-framed glass pavilion. It is supported by four plate girders spanning 26,000 square feet of uninterrupted space with 18-foot ceilings. As Mies said: "We do not let the functions dictate the plan. Instead, let us make room enough for any function."