Glass House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Philip Johnson Glass House | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 798-856 Ponus Ridge Road, New Canaan, Connecticut |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1949 |
| Architect: | Philip Cortelyou Johnson |
| Architectural style(s): | Modern Movement |
| Designated as NHL: | February 18, 1997[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | February 18, 1997[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 97000341 |
| Governing body: | National Trust for Historic Preservation |
The Glass House or Johnson house, built in 1949 in New Canaan, Connecticut, was designed by Philip Johnson as his own residence and is a masterpiece in the use of glass. It was an important and influential project for Johnson and his associate Richard Foster, and for modern architecture. The building is an essay in minimal structure, geometry, proportion, and the effects of transparency and reflection.
The house is mostly hidden from the public view. It is located behind a stone wall at the edge of a crest in Johnson’s estate overlooking a pond. It is one of eleven buildings that Johnson either built or refined on his rambling 47-acre estate. The exterior sides are glass and charcoal-painted steel; the brick floor is about 10 inches above the ground. The interior is open with the space divided by low walnut cabinets; a brick cylinder contains the bathroom and is the only object to reach floor to ceiling. The house builds on ideas of German architects from the 1920s ("Glasarchitektur"). In a house of glass, the views of the landscape are its real “walls”. The house is often compared to Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997.[1][3] The house was the place of Philip Johnson's passing in January of 2005. After Johnson's death the Glass House passed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which opened it to visitors in April 2007.
[edit] Gallery
 Visitor center in downtown New Canaan |
 The Glass House Visitors Center glass door |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Philip Johnson Glass House. National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ National Historic Landmark Nomination: Philip Johnson Glass HousePDF (151 KiB), National Park Service, , 19 and Accompanying 18 photos, exterior, from 1996 and undated.PDF (2.74 MiB)
[edit] External links
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