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January 27, 2005
Architect Philip Johnson, FAIA, died
Tuesday night at age 98.
Johnson, a principal at Philip Johnson/Alan
Ritchie Associates (PJAR) in New York, was widely regarded
as one of the pioneers and masters of Modernism. Through his
buildings, exhibitions, scholarship, and cultural sway, he
became one of the most influential designers of the 20th Century.
The architect, who retired from his practice
last fall after more than 60 years of work, had recently undergone
heart surgery.
Johnson’s prominent projects include
the influential Glass House (1949) in New Canaan, CT, a clear
box praised for its elegance and simplicity; the eloquently
quiet MOMA sculpture garden (1959) in New York; and the post-modern
AT&T Building, with its controversial Chippendale top,
also in New York. Notable exhibitions include a 1932 show
at the Museum of Modern Art called “Modern Architecture,”
which helped firmly lodge the European-based style into the
consciousness of the United States. An accompanying book,
called “The International Style,” which Johnson
wrote with Henry-Russell Hitchcock, further outlined the principles
of the developing style.
The architect, born in Cleveland in 1906,
was awarded the very first Pritzker Prize in 1979, and won
the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1978. He
studied under Marcel Breuer and Walter Gropius at Harvard,
and was greatly influenced by the clean forms of architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He also served as director of the
Department of Architecture at the Museum of Modern Art in
the 1930’s.
Johnson’s commitment to the simple
forms of early Modernism began to change over time, and later
he began to take sculptural experiments. He delved in Post-Modernism,
and later led shows on deconstructivism. A recent project
being developed by the firm for a children’s museum in
Guadalajara, Mexico, twists and contorts shapes in ways that
might have been unimaginable early in Johnson’s career.
Notes Douglas L Steidl, FAIA, President
of the AIA, in a statement, "his work cannot be characterized
by a single, consistent style. Instead, he creatively shaped
each design anew in response to the dreams of his clients,
the cultural influences of the time, and the intrinsic qualities
of the site. He was a visionary, contemporary American
architect who did not play by the rules, he made them.”
Johnson was also a mentor, and the unofficial
leader of various elite aesthetic circles. “We used to
call him the Godfather, because he was not only concerned
with his own practice, but he was also concerned with the
next generation,” notes Peter Eisenman, FAIA, who says
he went to Johnson for his “blessing” before starting
a firm.
Johnson’s own firm will continue
to operate under his partner of 10 years, Alan Ritchie, who
summed up the feelings of many in the design world in a statement:
“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Philip Johnson,
my partner and friend for over three decades. Philip leaves
an unmatched legacy to the world of architecture and design.
“As an icon of twentieth century
American architecture his intellect, presence and enormous
talent will be missed by those of us who knew him, and by
his colleagues throughout the world. He leaves behind a lifetime
of accomplishment that very few have achieved. Those that
Philip inspired over his 60 years in architectural practice
will carry on the legacy of his work.”
Mr. Johnson is survived by his sister,
Jeannette Dempsey, and by David Whitney, his partner for over
40 years.
Sam
Lubell
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