GLASS HOUSE NEW CANAAN,CONNECTICUT

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTUREBHARTI KUMAWATIII YEAR , VI SEM , SEC A, BATCH 11 YEAR : 2012AAYOJAN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE ,JAIPUR

PHILIP JOHANSON

BORN:-JULY 8,1906 PLACE:- CLEVELAND,USDIED:- 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

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DATE:-1949

LOCATION:-NEW CANAAN,CTARCHITECT:- 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

GLASS HOUSE

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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 .

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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

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SCULPTURE GALLERY

LIBRARY

BRICK HOUSE

PAVILION

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VIEWS

PAINTING GALLERY EXTERIER

POOL VIEW INTERIER

KIRSTEIN TOWER KITCHEN VIEW6