After the Seagram Building in New York and the New National Gallery in Berlin, fabled architect Mies van der Rohe designed a small petrol station on Nun's Island, in Quebec, shortly before his death in 1969. This simple, utilitarian building reflects the divergent views held by experts and laymen regarding 'everyday' structures, and is the spark for this stylish documentary exploring the life of van der Rohe.

He moved to the US from Berlin after pressure from the Nazis forced him to close the Bauhaus Institute. The New York Times named his Seagram Building Building of the Millennium, and so it's only fitting that van der Rohe's work is analysed by a legion of architecture superstars, including Rem Koolhaas, Stanley Tigerman, Dirk Lohan, Gene Summers and Joe Fujikawa.Van der Rohe was best known for his minimalist designs, his obsession with purity and simplicity. This influenced the way he combined form and function, creating a connection to the outdoors, and an architecture that is less removed from life and more reflective of how we actually live. The film's original soundtrack is by DJ Ram.