(smow) blog compact: The Glass House by Philip Johnson at Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft Köln

Since 2013 the Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft Köln has been a member of the organisation “Iconic Houses”, a platform that aims to network architecturally important 20th century residential houses and so not only raise awareness of contemporary architectural heritage but also promote and encourage preservation and innovative use of such.

True to this aim in 2013 the curators of the van Schijndel Huis in Utrecht started a series of events in which a house is presented by its director and subsequently a film shown which explains the construction and its architect in more detail.

Ungers Archiv have now taken on the concept and for the inaugural event present on Wednesday January 19th an evening devoted to the Glass House by Philip Johnson.

Designed in the late 1940’s the Glass House is, as one would expect from one of the co-authors of “The International Style”, an object that is defined by volume rather than mass, a regularity rather than a formal symmetry in the construction, and an “avoidance of applied decoration”.

It is a glass box.

Henry Urbach, director of  The Glass House will explain more in his introductory lecture before the film “Philip Johnson: Diary of an Eccentric Architect” presents a more detailed look at the architect behind the construction.

The Glass House by Philip Johnson takes place at Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft Köln, on Wednesday January 19th 2014 in the Stiftersaal des Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Obenmarspforten, 50667 Köln ‎.

Entry is free but advance reservations would be appreciated.

The evening is in English.

Full details can be found at www.ungersarchiv.de

Glass House by Philip Johnson (Photo: Eirik Johnson, courtesy of the Glass House, National Trust for Historic Preservation)