Download - A Celebration of Modernism

A celebration ofModernismBook pays homageto architectural gemsin New EnglandByJaciConry

GLOBE CORRESPONDENT

ture is typically associatedwithNewEngland residential architecclassic Colonial styles graciousGeorgians with their symmetri

cal facades neatly trimmed Cape Codscladwith cedar shingles But pepperedamong these historic structures are ahandful designed byModernist pioneerscompact unadorned cubic shaped homesnestled in the landscape

People think ofBoston as a very traditional city but it was a hotbed ofModemism from the 1930s through the early1970s says David Fixler president ofDOCOMOMO US NewEngland abranchofthe Paris based group that championsand conserves modem architecture All of

the great leaders in Modem architecturedidwork in NewEngland

While many ofthose homes no longerexist bulldozed in favor ofnewer residences their value has been recognized inrecent years and several remain Anewbook Tomorrow s Houses Rizzoli2011 —photographsbyGeoffreyGrossandwords byAlexander Gorlin —payshomage to the Modem architectural gemsthat remain throughout NewEngland

Modernism originated in Europe andarchitects guided by the movement sprinciples began designing buildings inNewEngland in the early 1930s But itwasn t untilWalter Gropius a founder ofthe German Bauhaus a union of freethinking artists designers and craftsmenarrived to teach at the Harvard Graduate

School ofDesign in 1937 that Modernismreally took hold here By the end ofthedecade a consortium ofModem architects includingMarcel Breuer Mies vander Rohe Philip Johnson and FrankLloydWright were doingwork inNewEngland

The influxwas spawned by the dawnofthe InformationAge and the designschools at Harvard andMIT attracted

some ofthe best architects in the worldsays Fixler At the time people were looking to abandon the weight and decorationoftraditional architecture Modernism

was about creating spaces where people

would feel efficient clean and upliftedThere was an emphasis on affordabili

ty and sustainability and dwellings incorporated mass produced and industrialmaterials like steel

Regional preservation groups likeHistoric NewEngland which operates theGropius House in Lincoln have helped

renewpublic interest in Modernist architecture The fervor for sustainability andenvironmental responsibility has alsosparked enthusiasm formid centuryworks

The Modernists fit their designs intothe existing topography they kept all theold trees —they werentbulldozingentirehillsides to create subdivisions says SallyZimmerman manager of historic preservation services at Historic NewEnglandEvery attempt was made to use the contours of the land to enhance the beauty ofthe houses

The majority ofNewEngland s Modernist residences are privately owned butsome are open to the public

Glass House

Considered the supreme Modernistresidence in NewEngland this fascinatingglass box affixed to a brick base was designed by Philip Johnson who lived in thehouse for nearly 60 years Atrue study inthe ability to commune with nature thestructure features an open loft like space

containing the kitchen dining and livingareas The sleeping area is shielded by theonly enclosure amassive brick cylinderthat contains the fireplace and bathroomThe rambling estate includes 13 additional structures designed by Johnson including a brick guest house where thearchitect slept when the exposure becametoo much

Open daily except closed on TuesdaysSunday noon 3p m Monday andWednesday 10 a m 3 30p m ThursdaySaturday 10 a mSp m Must callfor

tickets in advance 199 ElmSt New Canaan Conn 203 594 9884 wwwphilipjohnsonglasshouse org

Frelinghuysen Morris House

StudioIn 1930 painter George Morris built a

studio in the Berkshires based on one in

Paris designed byModernist master LeCorbusier The studio made up ofwhiterectilinear volumes translucent skylightsand griddedwindows is considered thefirst Modem structure in NewEngland Adecade laterMorris married artist SuzyFrelinghuysen and theybuilt a two storystucco and glass block house to accompany the studio designed by Boston architect George Sanderson

The house with its industrial fittingsandArt Deco furnishings contains muralsand frescoes created by the couple as wellas their more famous contemporariesincluding Picasso

Open Thursday Sunday 10 a m 3p m 92Hawthorne St Lenox 413 6370166 wwwfrelinghuysen org

Gropius HouseSoon after he began his tenure at

Harvard Walter Gropius was offeredland in Lincolnwhere he designed hispersonal residence Set amid an appleorchard not far fromThoreau sWalden

Pond Gropius chose natural woodclapboard siding and a native fieldstonefoundation to align with the NewEngland landscape Yet the hallmarks ofModernism abound the boxywhitestructure patternedwith ribbonwindows has a flat roofand features industrial materials such as acoustic plasterand fixtures ordered from commercial

catalogs Visitors todaywill encounterthe original furniture —much ofithandmade in Bauhaus workshops—alongwith Gropius s dishes books andcorrespondence

Boston GlobeCirculation: 219214DMA: Boston, MA

City: BostonState: MA

Account: 1866C0Date: 06/30/2011Pub Num: MAD50Section/Page: 62Page Count: 1 / 4

RefNo: 94f6acCopyright 06/30/2011 The Boston Globe

Open Wednesday Sunday 11 a m 4p m 68BakerBridgeRoad Lincoln781 259 8098 www historicnewengland com

Zimmerman House

Alate work by Frank LloydWrightthis low to the ground red tile roofedUsonian house was built in 1950 neighbors referred to it as a chicken coopThe home s spaciousness is not apparent from the public approach but itsbackside faces an expansive landscapethat seems to float into the home

through plate glass windows intendedto blur the barrier between the indoors

and outside The tightly designed 1 600

square foot brick house contains numerous built in cabinets and shelveselegant geometric furnishings tablelinens and vast gardens all designed byWright

Tours are offeredMondays at 2p mand Thursday Sunday at 11 30 a mand 2p m 223Heather St ManchesterNH 603 669 6144 www currier org

Kugel Gips HouseAfterWorldWar II Modernists

began experimentingwith their designson Cape Cod Among the collection isthis house sited in a sparse forest within the National Seashore overlooking aserene pond and designed by prolific

architect Charles Zehnder in 1970 Thestructure combines woodwith concrete

and glass exterior materials such asclapboards are used indoors Longcantilevered decks and an overhangingroofproject the living space into thelandscape Recently restored by theCape CodModemHouse Trust thehouse contains its original fixtures andModernist furnishings by Bertoia Saarinen and Bellini

Dates and times vary Callfor aschedule or to set up a tour Wellfleet508 349 7616 www ccniht org

Jaci Conry can be reached atjaci @jaciconry com

PHOTOS BY GEOFFREY GROSS





it

wMiiiM®m ihi





Download - A Celebration of Modernism

Top Related