Presenters
Abstract
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.