Philip Johnson entertaining guests at his Glass House, including Andy Warhol, David Whitney and Robert A.M. Stern.
Image Courtesy of Misfits Architecture.
In 1947, Philip Johnson curated an exhibit at MoMA that had included a model of Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth house. Johnson was obviously impressed, building his own Glass House two years later. An obvious ode to Mies, Johnson included several pieces of furniture designed by Mies.
Philip Johnson’s Glass house.
Image courtesy of Abbeville Press.
Eighteen years ago, the House was designated a National Historic Landmark.
Richard Barnes. Philip Johnson’s Glass House shrouded in fog.
Image courtesy of Arch Daily.
Last year, to celebrate the 65th anniversary, artist Fujiko Nakaya created an installation titled “Veil.” Nakaya shrouded the Glass House with fog for ten minutes every hour. The images taken during these fog sessions are definitely breathtaking.
On the one hand, the installation reinforces Johnson’s ideal of an architecture that vanishes. On the other hand, Johnson considered the views of the landscape as his “wallpaper.” He was quoted as saying,“I have very expensive wallpaper.” The fog definitely obscures the wallpaper.
Image by Richard Barnes, courtesy of Arch Daily.
Richard Barnes. The fog seen from the interior of Philip Johnson’s Glass House.
Image courtesy of Arch Daily.