Philip Johnson
Past International Architect
Philip Johnson has designed monumental buildings around the world, but Texas, and specifically Dallas, hold a special place for him. He first designed the de Menil House in Houston in 1950. In 1964, he designed the Beck house, known for its facade of slender concave arches wrapping around the home. Later, in Dallas, he designed the Kennedy Memorial in 1970; Thanksgiving Square in 1977; the Marshall Field’s facades in Houston and Dallas in 1979, and Momentum Place, now Bank One, in 1987. He has designed the Cathedral of Hope, also in Dallas.
Example of Homes Architect Philip Johnson Designed
Thoughts on the Contributions of Architect Philip Johnson Continued
Architect The triumph of creating slender concave arches that gracefully turn a corner is overshadowed by the 1960s monument quality of this home that reflects wealth and architectural indulgence. From a distance the home can look commercial and tedious but in near proximity Philip Johnson’s resolution of the difficulty of turning a corner with repeating arches is stunningly beautiful.
Svend Fruit, the renovation architect for the Strait Lane house, explains that this was one of Philip Johnson’s most important homes, as it reflects the transition from his work in the 1950s drawing from Mies van der Rohe and his work in the 1960s, exploring historical modernism.