In the 1950s, John and Dominique de Menil hired Philip Johnson to design a modern house for their family. Based on the work of Mies van der Rohe, the Johnson design - a long, flat-roofed, one-story building of brick, steel and glass - was bewildering to Houston residents. For the 42 year old Johnson, the 5,500 square foot house represented one of his first significant architectural commissions, and served as precedent for his own Glass House in New Canaan.
By the time construction was complete, the de Menils and Johnson were at odds. William Middletown relays, the de Menils were pleased enough with the austere lines of the house, but they rejected the interiors that Johnson proposed as too severe. ”Philip felt we should have a Mies van der Rohe settee, a Mies van der Rohe glass table and two Mies van der Rohe chairs on a little musty-colored rug,” reports Mrs. de Menil. ”We wanted something more voluptuous.” The solution was a modernist landmark with its own art de vivre. With the help of eccentric fashion designer Charles James, Dominique set out to create her own aesthetic statement. Cultured and socially sophisticated, the de Menils and their unique house quickly became a compulsory stop in the international cultural whirl.
For years after, Johnson raved against the de Menils and their personal interpretation of his work. In the end, he recanted. Initially, he felt that Domonique did not understand his work; but later, in retrospect, he announced that she was a connoisseur ahead of her time, a true pioneer of the postmodern.
About the presenterTheodore Randall Sawruk
Theodore R. Sawruk, Associate, AIA:
Theodore Sawruk received his Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie-Mellon University and his Graduate Diploma in Architectural History and Theory from the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London England.
Associate Professor Sawruk is a full-time academic with the University of Hartford, Department of Architecture, teaching in the newly established graduate program. He has previously served as an Assistant Professor of Architecture at various institutions, including: Hampton University, Southern Polytechnic University, University of Arkansas, and Drury College. Recently, Ted has been working with faculty and administrators to establish a new architecture program in western Afghanistan.
Sincerely interested in educational outreach programs, Ted has participated in a variety of Pre-College, Gifted Youth, and Boy Scout programs and is a recipient of Fannie Mae Foundation grants to develop architecture youth programs for African-American teens. In 2000, Professor Sawruk received a $220,000.00 HUD: HBCU Grant to further the HU Urban Institutes educational outreach and community revitalization efforts. In 2003, he was able to garner a three-year grant of $436,755 to continue this and related research in fair housing initiatives. Ted has served as a grant review panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts: Arts Education Grants.