GLASS HOUSE
NEW CANAAN,CONNECTICUT
PHILIP JOHANSON
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
BHARTI KUMAWAT
III YEAR , VI SEM , SEC A, BATCH 11 YEAR : 2012
AAYOJAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE ,JAIPUR
BORN:-JULY 8,1906 PLACE:- CLEVELAND,US
DIED:- JAN 25,2005 PLACE:- NEW CANAAN,US
AWARDS:-PRITZKER PRIZE (1979) AND HE FOUNDED THE DEPARTMENT
OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE MUSEUM OF ARCHITECTURE AND MODERN ART
IN NEW YORK CITY.HE WAS ALSO AWARDED AN AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF
ARCHITECTS GOLD MEDAL.
EDUCATION:- HE GRADUATED FROM HARVARD COLLEGE, IN 1930.AND
HE RECEIVED BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY,
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN IN 1943
Work:-1 PPG PLACE, PITTSBURGH
2 POST MODERN AT&T BUILDING
3 PUERTA DE EUROPA,MADRID
4 CRYSTAL CATHEDRAL,GARDENGROVE,CALIFORNIA
5 NEW YORK STATE THEATER
6 HINES COLLAGE OF ARCHITECTURE,TEXAS
1
DATE:-1949 GLASS HOUSE
LOCATION:-NEW CANAAN,CT
ARCHITECT:- PHILIP JOHANSON
CLIENT:-PHILIP JOHANSON
SQUARE FOOTAGE:-1792ft sq
ESTATE SIZE:-47.5 acres
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE:-MODERN MOVEMENT
INTRODUCTION :-
THE GLASS HOUSE OR JOHNSON HOUSE, BUILT IN 1949 IN
NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT, WAS DESIGNED BY PHILIP JOHNSON AS HIS OWN
RESIDENCE AND IS WIDELY CONSIDERED TO BE A MASTERPIECE IN THE USE OF
GLASS. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL PROJECT FOR JOHNSON AND
FOR MODERN ARCHITECTURE. THE BUILDING IS AN ESSAY IN MINIMAL
STRUCTURE, GEOMETRY, PROPORTION, AND THE EFFECTS OF TRANSPARENCY
AND REFLECTION.
ADDITIONAL
STRUCTURE:-
1 GLASS HOUSE,1949
2 BRICK HOUSE,1949
3 PAVILION,1962
4 PAINTING GALLERY,1965
5 SCULPTURE GALLERY
6 ENTRANCE GATE,1977
7 LIBRARY,1980
8 GHOST HOUSE,1984
9 KIRSTEIN TOWER,1985
10 DA MONSTA,1995
2
SITUATION:-
THE GLASS HOUSE IS LOCATED ON A BEAUTIFUL SPOT WHERE THE TREES ARE
THE ONLY BARRIER - WHICH ACTS AS THE SURROUNDING WALL - THAT CAN STOP
THE VIEW OF VISITORS THROUGH THE WALLS OF GLASS .
CONCEPT :-
AT THE GLASS HOUSE IS CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL
PRINCIPLES PROPOSED BY MIES VAN DER ROHE: "LESS IS MORE, HERE ARE MINIMAL
MATERIALS USED, ELEMENTS OF THE ECONOMY IS VERY CLEAR AND DOES VIRTUALLY
ANY ORNAMENT.
THE BASIC CONCEPT OF THE GLASS HOUSE WAS TAKEN FROM THE HOUSE
FARNWORTH BY MIES VAN DER ROHE, BUT WITH DIFFERENCES AS THE SYMMETRY
AND THE SEAT FIRMLY ON THE GROUND. THE INTERIOR SPACE IS DIVIDED BY
CABINETS AND A LOW BRICK CYLINDER CONTAINING THE BATHROOM. MUCH OF THE
FURNITURE BAUHAUS JOHNSON STAYS AT HOME .
MATERIALS:-
THE FLOOR OF A CUBE WHOSE CONTOUR IS FORMED ONLY BY THE THIN STEEL
WORK PAINSTAKINGLY PAINTED BLACK.
THE STEEL FRAMES OF BLACK AND RED BRICK CYLINDER THAT CONTAINS THE
FIREPLACE AND THE BATHROOM, SET THE VOLUME OF THIS WORK AND ANCHOR
THE COMPOSITION TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING THE BUILDING WAS ERECTED
ALMOST NATURALLY ON THE GROUND, WHICH DISTINGUISHES IT FROM THE
DESIGNS OF MIES VAN DER ROHE, WHO GENERALLY FLOAT-IN-SPACE.
DUE TO THE CEILING OPAQUE AND TRANSPARENT WALLS OF THE HOUSE OF
GLASS, VISITORS WILL HAVE THE WONDERFUL FEELING OF BEING PERMANENTLY
UNDER ONE ROOF, BUT NEVER FOUND INSIDE A BUILDING. THE TRANSPARENCY
OF THE MATERIAL ALLOWS THE LANDSCAPE ELEMENT THAT IS VIRTUALLY BUILT
THE IMAGE INSIDE THE HOUSE .
3
The Glass House
THE HOUSE IS MOSTLY HIDDEN FROM THE PUBLIC VIEW. IT IS LOCATED BEHIND A
STONE WALL AT THE EDGE OF A CREST IN JOHNSON’S ESTATE OVERLOOKING A
POND. VISITORS WALK OVER ALTERNATING GRASS AND GRAVEL STRIPS AS THEY
APPROACH THE BUILDING.THE BUILDING IS 56 FEET (17 M) LONG, 32 FEET (9.8 M)
WIDE AND 10½ FEET HIGH. THE KITCHEN, DINING AND SLEEPING AREAS WERE ALL
IN ONE GLASS-ENCLOSED ROOM, WHICH JOHNSON INITIALLY LIVED IN, TOGETHER
WITH THE BRICK GUEST HOUSE (LATER THE GLASS-WALLED BUILDING WAS ONLY
USED FOR ENTERTAINING). EXTERIOR SIDES OF THE GLASS HOUSE ARE
CHARCOAL-PAINTED STEEL AND GLASS. THE BRICK FLOOR IS ABOUT 10 INCHES
ABOVE THE GROUND. THE INTERIOR IS OPEN WITH THE SPACE DIVIDED BY LOW
WALNUT CABINETS; A BRICK CYLINDER CONTAINS THE BATHROOM AND IS THE
ONLY OBJECT TO REACH FLOOR TO CEILING.
DRAWINGS:-
ELEVATIONS
PLAN SECTION
4
SCULPTURE GALLERY
LIBRARY
BRICK HOUSE
PAVILION
5
VIEWS
PAINTING GALLERY EXTERIER
POOL VIEW INTERIER
KIRSTEIN TOWER KITCHEN VIEW
6
