Philip Johnson, 98, has died. I think I was probably in about 10th grade when I saw the short film tour PBS made of his New Canaan, Connecticut, estate, and I distinctly remember it being an early lesson for me about form. Who else could be said to have been so dedicated to form throughout his career while also adapting and changing styles so dramatically?
Philip Johnson, Glass House, 1949.
P.S.—the video is Diary of an Eccentric Architect. It documents the process of adding a new building to Johnson's estate. I haven't seen it since way back, so maybe it sucks, but I remember watching Johnson in earnest try to decide what he would do with the new building he was constructing, and I thought that was remarkable.
Posted by: Kriston at January 27, 2005 12:21 AM