More Mies than Mies. Philip Johnson and some limits of originality

Authors

  • Jorge Tárrago Mingo Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura University of Navarra

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4013/arq.2015.112.01

Abstract

The controversy over the similarities between the Farnsworth House by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Plano, IL, 1950) and Philip Johnson’s Glass House (New Canaan, CT, 1949) is well known. It has become a modern paradigm and an example of allusion and architectural copy or plagiarism. However, no such controversy should arise, at least in terms of its originality, as Philip Johnson published a startling article in Architectural Review, in September 1950, revealing “the sources of his inspiration” and openly acknowledged his debt to the Farnsworth House and, in general, to the architecture of Mies. Retrieving other texts of Johnson and reviewing what others have written about it, we suggest how the iconoclastic manner in which he published the Glass House was questioning the limits of the originality of the creative process.

Keywords: Philip Johnson, Mies van der Rohe, Glass House, originality.

Author Biography

Jorge Tárrago Mingo, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura University of Navarra

Jorge Tárrago (Burgos, 1975) es doctor arquitecto por la ETS de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Navarra (2005) y ha sido su Director de Estudios. Es profesor de Proyectos I del Departamento de Proyectos, Urbanismo, Teoría e Historia. Es autor de los libros Habitar la inspiración/construir el mito. Casas-taller de artistas en el periodo de entreguerras (Valencia, 2007) y co-autor de otros como La maison de l'artiste (Rennes, 2007), Iglesia y Convento de Santa María de Belén. Stella Maris, José María García de Paredes 1961-1965 (Pamplona, 2011) o Architects’ Journeys (New York, 2011). Coordina la revista Ra, Revista de Arquitectura y ha publicado diversos artículos en esa y otras como Block, ELSA, Future Anterior, ARQ o  Revista 180. Colabora en el grupo de investigación ‘AS20 Grupo de Investigación Arquitectura del siglo XX’ en iniciativas como la Bienal de Arquitectura Latinoamericana, los Congresos de Historia de la Arquitectura Moderna en España o las Ferias de editoriales y revistas de Arquitectura FIERA.

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Published

2016-02-02

How to Cite

Tárrago Mingo, J. (2016). More Mies than Mies. Philip Johnson and some limits of originality. Arquitetura Revista, 11(2), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.4013/arq.2015.112.01

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2015): Jul-Dec

Section

Articles

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