Glass House

by Michael Moran (Photographer), Toshio Nakamura (Editor)

The Glass House, designed by celebrated architect Philip Johnson as a personal retreat, is an icon of modern architecture. A crystalline box set in a serene New England landscape, the house is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which will open it to visitors in April 2007. Johnson used his property near New Canaan, Connecticut, as an architectural laboratory, adding nine additional structures over a forty-year period. Among them are the Ghost House, a chain-link tribute to Frank Gehry, and the witty, bright red Gate House. Glass House is a unique presentation of the Glass House complex in words and photographs. Compiled by eminent critic Toshio Nakamura under the sponsorship of YKK AP Inc., the volume features a specially commissioned suite of photographs, taken throughout the four seasons, by renowned architectural photographer Michael Moran, including cross-processed images and images taken with infrared film. The deluxe graphic presentation, with distinctive paper stocks and foldout pages reproducing Johnson's original drawings, was conceived by designer Michael Rock of 2x4.

Genres: Architecture

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2007

Reviews

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

When architecture books show the Glass House, they show it by itself, so that it looks like a much less impressive version of the Farnsworth House. But this book shows that the Glass House is just one part of a complete compound, consisting of the (intentionally?) ugly "Brick House", a spectacular underground art gallery with paintings on revolving cylinders, and various follies and sculptures scattered around a heavily designed landscape. The overall work is much more impressive.

Melody scored tickets to see it in September, and I'm looking forward to seeing the underground art bunker most of all.

[Patrick\ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A parallel statement to van der Rohe of the glass house, The setting includes a couple other Johnson buildings that take away, somewhat, from the truly dramatic effect this crystaline gem presents. Can one really live in a glass house? Without blinds?

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautifully designed (by 2X4) architectural monographs ever. Makes Johnson's house look more impressive than it really is.