USA: Architect Philip Johnson's Glass House opens to the public for the first time

Architect Philip Johnson's Glass House has become one of the best known post-war buildings, even though its been almost impossible to visit. Now, the see-through construction that has had architecture circles talking for years is open to the public. The house was built by Johnson in 1949 in New Canaan, Connecticut. The only way to see the all-glass construction was by receiving an exclusive invitation from Johnson, who lived in the house and died nearly three years ago at age 98. Now that it's open to the public, Dorothy Dunn, the Director of the Visitor Experience for the Glass House, says visitors are flocking to see the structure. "We're a pilgrimage site. People are coming, they're quiet, they're tearing up. It's very moving, personally moving," said Dunn. In a 1996 interview, Johnson compared the experience of living in the building sans walls, to a camping trip with added bonuses. "You don't have to carry your camping equipment with you and you can relax in your birthday suit and enjoy outside," said Johnson. The Glass House sits on a 47-acre estate with rolling hills and other notable Johnson structures including the Brick House, the Sculpture Gallery and the Painting Gallery where works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and other legendary artists can be found.

ITN Source | August 2, 2007

Tags:. .personally. .found. .moving. .sans. .public