The Farnsworth House near Chicago is an icon of 20th-century modernist domestic architecture. The one-story masterpiece of steel and glass, with its simple geometric designs and transparent walls, reflects architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's minimalist expression of structure and space. SAVED FROM THE WRECKING BALL tells the compelling story of van der Rohe's vision and his often tempestuous relationship with his client, D. Edith Farnsworth — a relationship filled with romantic intrigue and contentious legal battles. The film follows the saga of the Farnsworth House, from its construction in 1951 through its stewardship under subsequent owners to the efforts to preserve the building within its original context.