Rest Well, Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson, at once the elder statesman and the enfant terrible of American architecture, died yesterday at the Glass House, the celebrated estate he built for himself in New Canaan, Conn., said David Whitney, his companion of 45 years. He was 98 years old.
Often considered the dean of American architects, Mr. Johnson was known less for his individual buildings than for the sheer force of his presence on the architectural scene, which he served as a combination godfather, gadfly, scholar, patron, critic, curator and cheerleader.
The acclaimed architectural historian/critic Paul Goldberg has written a lenghty article reflecting on the life and work of Phillip Johnson: Philip Johnson, Elder Statesman of U.S. Architecture, Dies at 98 (New York Times)
Isn’t this the guy responsible for all the boring square boxes we see now-a-days?
To a certain extent, Johnson’s one of the culprits. Johnson and other well-respected Modern architects, like Mies and Gropius, actually built beautiful glass, square buildings. It was all the crummy “architects” following the trend who are responsible for the boring boxes that litter our landscapes. Because of their influence on architecture, these renowned architects are certainly responsible for a lot of the mundane buildings built by others.