“I pointed out to him (Mies) that it (a glass house) was impossible because you had to have rooms, and that meant solid walls up against the glass, which ruined the whole point. Mies said, ‘I think it can be done.’” Philip Johnson speaking at a symposium held at the School of Architecture, Columbia University, 1961.

he Farnsworth House, built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1951 and located near Plano, Illinois, is one of the most famous examples of modernist domestic architecture and was considered unprecedented in its day. Transcending any traditional domestic function or program, the importance of the house lies rather in the absolute purity and consistency of its architectural idea. As historian Franz Schulze has remarked: “Certainly the house is more nearly temple than dwelling, and it rewards aesthetic contemplation before it fulfills domestic necessity.”

Visit this masterpiece of steel-and-glass design on the banks of the Fox River. Mies’ temple-like pavilion both invites and challenges visitors – its unsurpassed views through transparent walls will cause you to consider anew how a man-made object best relates to nature. It’s not like any house you have ever been in.

Farnsworth House

14520 River Road

Plano, IL 60545

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Landmarks Preservation

Council of Illinois

53 W. Jackson Blvd.

Tel 

(630) 552-0052

Chicago, IL 60604

Fax

(630) 552-8890

A National Trust Historic Site

Tel (312) 922-1742