Docomomo US is pleased to welcome one of the country's most iconic modern sites, Philip Johnson's Glass House, to the Explore Modern Houses Partnership. 

As one of the masterworks of modern architecture, Philip Johnson's Glass House is a key monument in postwar construction. Sited on an estate composed of sixteen buildings, structures, and objects situated on forty acres of land, the Glass House and its associated guest house were both built in 1949 to serve as Johnson's weekend residence. The main house is a simple rectangular prism with walls consisting entirely of floor-to-ceiling plate-glass sheets secured between black-painted steel piers. An off-center cylindrical mass of brick containing a fireplace on one side and the bathroom entrance on the other, protrudes through the top of the flat roof. The house epitomizes the International Style and has long been regarded as one of the premier representatives of Modernism.

Believing that one of the best ways to foster increased awareness and appreciation for significant sites is to experience them firsthand, Docomomo US launched the Explore Modern Houses Partnership in 2018 to make it easier for Docomomo US members to visit exceptional modern homes across the country. The program provides discounts to an exclusive list of participating sites for Docomomo US members. Now entering its second year, we have add three sites to the original list: Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, CT, Alden B. Dow's Home & Studio in Midland, MI, and the James Rose Residence in Ridgewood, NJ. Original partnership members include: the Mies van der Rohe-designed Farnsworth House and McCormick House, the Cocoon House, Umbrella House, MANITOGA/The Russell Wright Design Center, and the Modulightor Building.

Docomomo US members will receive 20% off tour tickets to the Glass House. Visit each site's page below and check the "How to Visit" box for details.  

If you aren't already a member, become one today to take advantage of Explore Modern Houses Partnership.