Johnson, Philip, Glass House

History

It was built in 1948–49 by the architect Philip Johnson, who designed the home as his weekend retreat. The New York Times has called the home his "signature work".

According to Alice T. Friedman, the Glass House may have been derived from the glass Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois, by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, which was completed in 1951, two years after the Glass House. Johnson curated an exhibit of Mies's work at the Museum of Modern Art in 1947, featuring a model of the Farnsworth House. It was an important and influential project for Johnson and for modern architecture. The building is an example of minimal structure, geometry, proportion, and the effects of transparency and reflection. The estate includes other buildings designed by Johnson that span his career. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

The house is an example of early use of industrial materials in home design, such as glass and steel. Johnson used the residence for 58 years, shared for 45 years with his long time companion David Whitney, an art critic and curator who helped design the landscaping and largely collected the art displayed there.

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