THERE IS A HOME IN PLANO WORE THE WALLS ARE RAILROAD CHANGING, A PLACE WHERE
THE MINIMALIST MOVEMENT AND
NATURE COME TOGETHER AS WE
DISCOVER AT THE FARNSWORTH HOME.
>>THE FANSWORTH IS FIVE OR SIX
OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HOUSES OF
THE 20TH CENTURY.
IT REPRESENTS THE BEST OF
MID-CENTURY MODERNISM THAT
EXISTED IN THE WORLD, AND IT IS
RIGHT HERE IN PLANO.
THE CONCEPTION FOR THE HOUSE
CAME IN 1945 WITH DR. EDITH
FARNSWORTH MEET E NUS VANDERGOET
ASKED HIM TO DESIGN A HOUSE ON
THE PIECE OF PROPERTY OF THE
COLONEL MC CORMICK SOUTHWEST OF
CHICAGO.
THE HOUSE WAS COMPLETED IN 1951
AND IT REPRESENTS ALL OF THE
SORT OF MINIMALISTS IDEALS OF
THE BOUGH HOUSE AND YOU KNEES IN
PARTICULAR WHO WAS THE LEADER OF
THE MINIMALIST MOVEMENT.
HIS TERM FOR THE HOUSE WAS
"ALMOST NOTHING."
INDEED, WHEN YOU ARE IN THE
HOUSE, IF THERE WERE NO
FURNITURE IN THE HOUSE, IF THERE
WERE NO DRAPERIES, IT WOULD LOOK
LIKE ALMOST NOTHING.
THE BASIC ELEMENTS ARE HERE, BUT
THE WALLS CONSIST OF GLASS.
FLOORS ARE TRAVERTINE, AND THE
CORE OF THE HOUSE IS IN PRIMA
PRIMAVERA WOOD.
TOWARD THE END OF THE COMPLETION
OF THE HOUSE, THERE WERE SOME
POINTS OF CONFLICT.
THE WARDROBE, FOR INSTANCE, IN
THE HOUSE WAS SOMETHING THAT
EDITH INSIST UPON WHICH YOU
KNEES DID NOT WANT AT ALL
BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING
TO IMPEDE THE FREE-SPAN, OPEN
ONE ROOM SPACE.
SHE INSISTED ON WINDOWS THAT
OPENED SO YOU COULD GET CROSS
VENTILATION WHICH YOU KNEES DID
NOT WANT TO HAPPEN.
SHE INEVITABLY SCREENED IN THE
PORCH TO PROTECT HER FROM THE
MOSQUITOS.
MEICE DIDN'T WANT THAT.
HEATING SYSTEM SUNDAY THE TV
AVATINE FLOOR.
THERE IS A SERIES OF COPPER
TUBES.
IN THE WINTER, THE FLOOR HAS
THIS GENTLE WARMTH THAT EMANATES
FROM IT, AND IT IS A VERY, VERY
WARM COMFORTABLE TOAST I HOUSE
IN THE WINTERTIME.
THE HOUSE IS QUITE COMFORTABLE
BECAUSE YOU HAVE PRIVACY CREATED
BY THE NATURAL VEGETATION AROUND
THE HOUSE.
AND, IN FACT, THE PURPOSE OF THE
HOUSE IN THIS SETTING IS TO JOIN
WITH THE NATURAL SETTING TO
CREATE THIS KIND OF EVER
CHANGING EXPERIENCE
ARCHITECTURALLY.
THE NATURE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
TAKES ON A HIGHER SIGNIFICANCE
WHEN YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE
LOOKING AT IT.
I HAVE BEEN HERE HUNDREDS OF
TIMES, AND IT IS DIFFERENT EVERY
SINGLE TIME BECAUSE THE
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE
DIFFERENT, VEGETATIVE CONDITIONS
ARE DIFFERENT.
THE RIVER IS AT A DIFFERENT
LEVEL.
EDITH OWNED THE HOME FOR 20
YEARS, AND THEN SOLD IT TO LORD
PETER PALUMBO, A DEVELOPER AND
ARCHITECTURAL ENTHUSIAST FROM
LONDON.
THIS IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE
WAY IT LOOKED WHEN EDITH LIVED
HERE.
EDITH HAD OVER-STUFFED COUCHES
AND VICTORIAN FURNITURE AND
CHINESE FEU DOGS OUT ON THE
TERRACE, AND PETER PALUMBO BEING
MUCH PURER IN HIS DESIGN SENSE
AND APPRECIATION FOR MEICE
REMOVED EVERYTHING THAT WASN'T
MEISIAN AND LEFT FOR US WHAT YOU
SEE HERE TODAY.
WHAT YOU SEE IN THE HOUSE NOW
ARE AUTHORIZED KNOLL
REPRODUCTIONS OF MEICE DESIGNS.
ALL OF THE FURNITURE WAS
PURCHASED BY LORD PALUMBO IN
FURNISHING THE HOUSE AFTER HE
PURCHASED IT FROM EDITH
FARNSWORTH.
THE HOUSE IS OWNED TODAY BY THE
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC
PRESERVATION IN WASHINGTON.
THE ORGANIZATION THAT I HAD HAS
EXCLUSIVELY MANAGING AND
OPERATING COVENANT WITH THE
NATIONAL TRUST ON THE HOUSE.
THE DESIGN OF THE FARNSWORTH
HOUSE REPRESENTS SORT OF THE
APEX OF 20TH CENTURY MODERNISM,
AND EVERYTHING IS REDUCED TO THE
ABSOLUTE MINIMUM THAT ONE NEEDS
TO MAKE A HOUSE STAND AND MAKE A
HOUSE FUNCTION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FARNSWORTH HOME, GO TO WWW. WWW.FANSWORTH HOUSE.ORG OR
(630)552-0052.