The Houses of Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson's Glass House (1949) in New Canaan, Connecticut, is one of the icons of modern architecture. Ironically, its fame has obscured Johnson's many other notable residential projects, which are here studied in depth for the first time. Drawing on exhaustive research and extensive interviews with Johnson, his colleagues, and his clients, this elegant book presents more than 100 projects, many of them virtually unknown. Special attention is given to the Glass House, which established Johnson's architectural reputation, and to the other structures on the grounds of Johnson's estate in New Canaan, a pilgrimage site for students of architecture. Authors David Mohney and Stover Jenkins explore the impact of the Glass House on Johnson's subsequent designs, and they then proceed to cover the full range of Johnson's domestic architecture, with emphasis on his exploration of recurring elements, including the inventive use of courtyards, the distinction between private and public space, and the close attention he has always paid to how his buildings are sited within the landscape. The authors present many fascinating, little-known Johnson house projects, unbuilt or so altered over the years that they can be understood only through the drawings and plans presented here.