- In full:
- Philip Cortelyou Johnson
- Born:
- July 8, 1906, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
- Died:
- January 25, 2005, New Canaan, Connecticut (aged 98)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pritzker Prize (1979)
- Movement / Style:
- International Style
- postmodernism
Philip Johnson
-
Who was Philip Johnson?
Philip Johnson (1906–2005) was a highly influential American architect and critic, known for his role in defining both the International Style and postmodern architecture.
After graduating from Harvard with a philosophy degree in 1930, he became the director of the Department of Architecture at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1932. Johnson's architectural reputation grew with the design of his own residence, the Glass House, in New Canaan, Connecticut (1949).
Johnson's style evolved over the years, incorporating curvilinear forms and historical references. His AT&T Building in New York City (1984), with its Chippendale-cabinet-like top, was considered a landmark in postmodern architecture. He received several awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal (1978) and the first Pritzker Architecture Prize (1979).
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What is Philip Johnson known for in architecture?
Philip Johnson was an American architect and critic, born July 8, 1906, in Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for his role in defining postmodernist architecture and his promotion of the International Style.
Johnson's architectural reputation grew with the design of his residence, the Glass House, in New Canaan, Connecticut (1949). The Glass House is notable for its simple, minimalist aesthetic and use of large glass panels as walls. Johnson also worked with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe on the Seagram Building in New York City (1958).
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What is the Glass House, and why is it important?
The Glass House, located in New Canaan, Connecticut, is a significant work by American architect Philip Johnson. Completed in 1949, this residence exemplifies Modernism with its spare glass and steel structure that is open to the environment.
Johnson drew inspiration from classical villas, creating a space for retreat that is both austere and visually connected to nature. The Glass House is considered one of the 20th century’s most iconic buildings and a sophisticated study of architectural history. Its design reflects the minimalist aesthetic of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe while alluding to earlier architectural styles.
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How did Philip Johnson help shape modern architecture?
Philip Johnson significantly shaped modern architecture through his promotion of the International Style and his role in defining postmodern architecture. As the director of the Department of Architecture at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Johnson co-authored The International Style: Architecture Since 1922, which described post-World War I modern architecture.
His design of the Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, amplified his reputation. Its simple, rectilinear structure with large glass panels reflected the minimalist aesthetic. Johnson's style evolved, incorporating curvilinear forms and historical allusions, as seen in the Temple Kneses Tifereth Israel and the art gallery at Dumbarton Oaks. The AT&T Building in New York City, with its Chippendale cabinet-like top, was considered a landmark of postmodern architecture.
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What styles of architecture did Philip Johnson use in his career?
Philip Johnson was an American architect and critic known for his role in defining International Style and postmodernist architecture.
Johnson's architectural designs evolved through several distinct phases:
* Early Career Johnson promoted the International Style, influenced by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, evident in his Glass House (1949).
* Mid-Career Johnson shifted towards curvilinear forms and historical references, seen in the Temple Kneses Tifereth Israel (1956).
* Late Career Johnson embraced postmodernism, exemplified by the AT&T Building (1984), and drew inspiration from 18th-century designs like the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture (1983–85).1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Philip Johnson influenced other architects and architecture today?
Philip Johnson, an American architect and critic, significantly impacted architecture through his promotion of the International Style and his role in defining postmodern architecture. Johnson's Glass House (1949) in New Canaan, Connecticut, epitomizes Modernism with its spare glass and steel box design, influencing subsequent minimalist aesthetics. His AT&T Building in New York City (1984), with its Chippendale cabinet-like top, marked a turning point in postmodern architecture, influencing architects to incorporate historical elements into their designs. Johnson's work designing the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston further solidified the postmodern architectural movement.
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Philip Johnson (born July 8, 1906, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.—died January 25, 2005, New Canaan, Connecticut) was an American architect and critic known both for his promotion of the International Style and, later, for his role in defining postmodernist architecture.
Johnson majored in philosophy at Harvard University, graduating in 1930. In 1932 he was named director of the Department of Architecture of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. With Henry-Russell Hitchcock he wrote The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 (1932), which provided a description of (and also a label for) post-World War I modern architecture. In 1940 Johnson returned to Harvard (B.Arch., 1943), where he studied architecture with Marcel Breuer. His real mentor, however, was Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, with whom he worked on the widely praised Seagram Building in New York City (1958). After World War II Johnson returned to MoMA as director of the architecture department from 1946 to 1954. His influential monograph Mies van der Rohe was published in 1947 (rev. ed., 1953).
Johnson’s reputation was enlarged by the design of his own residence, known as the Glass House, at New Canaan, Connecticut (1949). The house, which is notable for its severely simple rectilinear structure and its use of large glass panels as walls, owed much to the precise, minimalist aesthetic of Mies but also alluded to the work of 18th- and 19th-century architects. (In addition to the Glass House, Johnson’s New Canaan estate featured a number of other structures, including an art gallery and a sculpture pavilion. He later donated the estate to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and in 2007 it was opened to the public.) This balance between Miesian influence and historical allusion shifted in the 1950s. Beginning with the Temple Kneses Tifereth Israel in Port Chester, New York (1956), Johnson made fuller use of curvilinear (particularly arch) forms and historical quotation, a pattern continued in the art gallery at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C. (1963), and the IDS Center, a multibuilding group in Minneapolis (1973).
Johnson’s style took a final turn with the New York City AT&T Building (1984; it was later sold and renamed). Designed with a top resembling a Chippendale cabinet, the building was considered by critics to be a landmark in the history of postmodern architecture. Johnson turned explicitly to the 18th century for his design of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston (1983–85); it was based on unexecuted plans published by the French architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. Johnson’s partner in these endeavours (1967–91) was the architect John Henry Burgee.
Johnson, who continued to design into the early 21st century, received a number of awards, including the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal (1978) and the first Pritzker Architecture Prize (1979).