Philip Johnson’s Glass House has become a symbol of 20th C. American architecture. An icon of the American century that was dominated by technological innovation and radical ideas about private and public space, the building is the focus of a larger estate that includes buildings devoted to his art collection, private quarters and even a lake pavilion, among other things.
Johnson’s home is also a symbol of the change that transformed private lives during the era. Even if the house itself was not practical — it was apparently an oven in there during the summer — it continues to inspire architecture up until our own times with its glass curtain walls and open interior design.
Here artist Frank Stella, who was a friend of Johnson, revisits the estate and talks about the elder statesman of American architecture and the uniqueness of the site, which is currently administered as a National Trust Historic Site.
There’s another video worth a look on YouTube that features an extensive interview with the American architect for American Architecture Now. You can see my photos from the estate here.
