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Travel: The Glass House by Philip Johnson
In Connecticut, The Glass House by Philip Johnson is a modernist masterpiece that design enthusiasts can make a pilgrimage to.
As the indisputable jewel of a 19-hectare New Canaan estate, The Glass House by Philip Johnson is one of 14 American structures that can be toured from April through December. This touring opportunity now includes the dwelling’s lesser- known yet significant counterpart, the Brick House, which is open again to visitors after a 16-year hiatus.
Inspired by sketches of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Edith Farnsworth House, Johnson designed The Glass House for himself as an escape from New York City. Sited on a flat grassy expanse overlooking a pond, with views to the woodland beyond and composed predominantly of steel and glass, it quickly became an icon, celebrated for its rationalised form, pioneering use of glass and visceral connection to landscape.
When the collector and curator David Whitney came into Johnson’s life in 1960, The Glass House became a weekend home for the two of them, and they resided there for many years, frequently hosting gatherings and guests including artist Andy Warhol. In the late 1980s, they donated the property to The National Trust for Historic Preservation with a plan for the site to become a public place after Johnson’s death and, in 2007, it opened to visitors.
The Brick House was recently reopened after an extensive restoration due to water damage and, for the first time, the story of this architecturally rich compound can be told in its entirety.
“Preservation is important, and we try to be a part of the effort to create awareness about the modern movement in art and architecture in general, but we also try to serve as a canvas for artists who come to The Glass House or who use it as a springboard for new work,” says Gwen North Reiss, an educator at The National Trust. The Paper Log House – an emergency housing prototype designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban, which is currently installed on the grounds – reflects this ongoing pursuit, as does the site’s roster of installations and collaborations with contemporary artists.
The Brick House was recently reopened after an extensive restoration due to water damage and, for the first time, the story of this architecturally rich compound can be told in its entirety. Though the pair of buildings were designed in parallel, they are, in many ways, the antithesis of one another; where the Brick House is hermetic and robust, its companion is transparent and lightweight.
Though the pair of buildings were designed in parallel, they are, in many ways, the antithesis of one another; where the Brick House is hermetic and robust, its companion is transparent and lightweight.
As a built contribution, the Brick House also conveys Johnson’s shift from modernism to a more playful and expressive design approach. “It certainly shows Johnson in more of a postmodern mode,” says North Reiss. This is evidenced by elements such as the dropped, arched ceiling, Gaetano Pesce chairs, gold and aquamarine Fortuny cotton wall panelling, Edward Fields off-white carpet and black-and-white marble bathroom. It exists as an intentional foil, albeit a complementary one, to the pared-back, loft-like Glass House and speaks to Johnson’s stylistic development.
This evolution is underscored at the property, from the Pavilion in the Lake – whose arches are suggestive of Johnson’s move towards historicism – to the postmodern principles employed at the Brick House and Da Monsta building. Johnson referred to the grounds as his “50-year diary,” and visitors can almost see a history of 20th-century architecture in these experimental buildings. Thoughtfully maintained by The National Trust in the pursuit of education and preservation, it’s a profound insight into the life and work of one of the most celebrated, if not notorious, architects of the modern era.
