Philip Cortelyou Johnson (1906–2005) was an American architect known for his influential contributions to modern and postmodern architecture. His career shaped the built environment with iconic designs and theoretical explorations, though his early ties to fascist ideologies have drawn criticism.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he studied at Harvard University, developing an interest in architecture. In 1932, he co-curated the International Style exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA,) introducing modernist architecture to America. He later became MoMA’s first director of the Department of Architecture.
Johnson’s architectural career gained momentum in the 1940s. His most famous works include Glass House (1949,) a minimalist masterpiece in New Canaan, Connecticut. He later embraced postmodernism, designing the AT&T Building (1984) in New York with its distinctive Chippendale-inspired top. He received the Pritzker Architecture Prize (1979) for his lasting impact.
His books include The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 (1932, co-authored with Henry-Russell Hitchcock,) Philip Johnson: Life and Work (1996, by Franz Schulze,) and Philip Johnson & Texas (2000.) His writings and exhibitions shaped architectural discourse.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Philip Johnson
Architecture is the art of how to waste space.
—Philip Johnson
Topics: Space, One liners, Architecture, Design
All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.
—Philip Johnson
Topics: Architecture
Leave a Reply