Kaufman, Dean. "The Glass House Menagerie." Dwell Magazine March 2007: 138-145
Is being contemporary about reinterpreting the past (whether they are experiences, ideas, movements, designs or objects) through one’s own lens, creating new experiences, ideas, movements, designs or objects to choose from? Or is it more about finding one’s own place in this world, creating out of pure imagination rather than pseudo-referencing the past? I have a funny feeling it is both.
Enter Philip Johnson and his Glass House. An undisputable icon, the Glass House was certainly contemporary for its time and as Kaufman writes, “…a home and an experiment.” Located upon 47 acres in New Canaan, Connecticut (and recently open to the public this past June), the Glass House is both landmark and estate. The article informs any reader who might visit the house about its history and how the estate grew from 5 to 47 acres, including the addition of the many architectural project that adorn the estate. Perhaps more importantly, it gives the reader insights into the man who called the Glass House home.
Simply put, the Glass House is a rectangular box dominated by glass walls. Although the house’s columns are painted black, they seemingly read as fine lines rather than substantial structure. Preceding Mies van der Rohe’s classically designed Farnsworth House by 2 years, Kaufman notes the similarities the two; yet, Johnson breaks with traditional expression of “home”. He eliminates the stairs, porch and walls, creating an expressive container within the carefully constructed landscape. This may explain why Johnson decided to use glass in the first place. With the exception of the brick cylindrical hearth rising out of its insides, he creates a seamless transition between interior and exterior space. Regardless of whether the house is a glorified shelter or bandstand, it is in the transitions—between interior and exterior, materials choices and architectural styles—which allowed Johnson to gain the fame and notoriety he so desired.
See www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org for more information.
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The article, The Glass House Menagerie, strongly interests me. Johnson amazingly reconciles glass with the landscape, although his house is a rectangular, an artificial shape. This house looks like no walls, invisible walls, and just building in the forest. Recently, glass concerns architects. In evidence of interests, many magazines about architecture are written about the relationship of among glass, landscape, and architectures. Architects try to introduce glass, as new materials, into housing. The National Trust actually preserves the Johnson’s Glass House, to make the estate a center point of protection of modern architecture and to maintain the spirit of his inspiration. The tickets of this housing’s tour are sold out. That is also why the relationship among glass, landscape, and architecture interests architects and viewers.
I agree with Frances’s statement. I cite her statement, ‘Is being contemporary about reinterpreting the past through one’s own lens?’ and ‘creating out of pure imagination rather than pseudo-referencing the past’. The statement makes me enjoyable. In the former of this article, talking about the hedgehog and the fox. The hedgehog represents pursuing multiple objectives and the fox symbolizes governed by an overreaching vision. Johnson creates the glass house, because he seems to be both ideas. He does not consist traditional housing style and explore in his own way. Now, people admire his glass house.
The article, The Glass House Menagerie, strongly interests me. Johnson amazingly reconciles glass with the landscape, although his house is a rectangular, an artificial shape. This house looks like no walls, invisible walls, and just building in the forest. Recently, glass concerns architects. In evidence of interests, many magazines about architecture are written about the relationship of among glass, landscape, and architectures. Architects try to introduce glass, as new materials, into housing. The National Trust actually preserves the Johnson’s Glass House, to make the estate a center point of protection of modern architecture and to maintain the spirit of his inspiration. The tickets of this housing’s tour are sold out. That is also why the relationship among glass, landscape, and architecture interests architects and viewers.
I agree with Frances’s statement. I cite her statement, ‘Is being contemporary about reinterpreting the past through one’s own lens?’ and ‘creating out of pure imagination rather than pseudo-referencing the past’. The statement makes me enjoyable. In the former of this article, talking about the hedgehog and the fox. The hedgehog represents pursuing multiple objectives and the fox symbolizes governed by an overreaching vision. Johnson creates the glass house, because he seems to be both ideas. He does not consist traditional housing style and explore in his own way. Now, people admire his glass house.
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