HOUSE. ♪
♪ >> WELL, THE MILLER HOUSE ISN'T
THE ONLY MODERNIST RESIDENCE IN
COLUMBUS.
COLUMBUS. THERE WERE SOME OTHER ONES THAT
WERE BUILT HERE, A FEW EVEN
EARLIER, BUT NATIONWIDE,
MODERNISM WAS NEVER A TERRIBLY
POPULAR STYLE FOR HOMES.
AND CERTAINLY NOT AT THE LEVEL
OF THIS ONE.
>> IN 1953, INDUSTRIALIST AND
PHILANTHROPIST J. IRWIN MILLER
COMMISSIONED EERO SAARINEN TO
BUILD HIS NEW HOME.
>> SOME ARCHITECTS REALLY AND
TRULY TRIED TO BREAK COMPLETELY
FROM STYLISTIC HISTORICAL
REFERENCES.
REFERENCES. OTHERS NOT SO DRAMATICALLY.
ERRO SAARINEN AS AN ARCHITECT IS
A LITTLE HARDER TO CATEGORIZE.
HE DIDN'T NECESSARILY ADHERE TO
A STYLE THAT WENT FROM BUILDING
TO BUILDING TO BUILDING.
HE LOOKED AT EVERY WORK OF
ARCHITECTURE AS AN INDIVIDUAL
PROBLEM THAT HAD A SOLUTION THAT
WAS UNIQUE TO ITSELF.
>> THE HOUSE WAS INSPIRED BY THE
PIONEER OF MODERNIST
ARCHITECTURE, MEESE VANNER ROW
AND HIS WORLD'S FAIR PAVILION.
BUT SAARINEN HAD THE TASK OF
MAKING THE MILLER HOUSE A HOME.
>> SAARINEN TOOK SOME OF THOSE
IDEAS AND DEVELOPED THEM IN
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS TO MAKE IT
POSSIBLE FOR THE SAME STYLISTIC
EFFORTS TO SERVE IN A DOMESTIC
SETTING TO FUNCTION THE FAMILY'S
NEEDS AND PURPOSES.
THIS NEEDED TO BE PLACES TO COOK
AND SLEEP AND ALL THE THINGS
THAT GO INTO FAMILY LIFE.
THE MILLERS HAD FIVE CHILDREN,
AND IN THAT WAY, IT DIFFERS FROM
A LOT OF MODERNIST BUILDINGS
THAT IMMEDIATELY LEAP TO MIND,
LIKE THE GLASS HOUSE IN NEW
CANAAN.
CANAAN. WE ARE IN WHAT IS CALLED THE
CHILDREN'S PLAYROOM.
CHILDREN'S PLAYROOM. THIS WAS A SPACE THAT WAS MEANT
TO BE ONE WHERE THEY COULD COME
TOGETHER TO STUDY, DO LESSONS,
TO PLAY.
TO PLAY. THE SKYLIGHT SYSTEM PROVIDES
BEAUTIFUL LIGHT IN THE HOUSE,
AND IT CROSSES THE HOUSE IN A
REGULAR GRID AND IT BRINGS LIGHT
INTO EVEN THE AREAS FARTHEST
AWAY FROM THE WINDOWS.
SO THE HOUSE IS BRIGHT EVEN ON A
CLOUDY DAY LIKE THIS.
>> ALEXANDER GIRARD HELPED TO
BRING LIFE TO THE HOME WITH
COLOR AND TEXTURE, OFTEN
DESIGNING HIS OWN PATTERNS FOR
THE CURTAINS AND RUGS THROUGHOUT
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. >> HE HAD A PLACE AND A
WHIMSICAL NATURE TO HIS WORK
THAT REALLY MESHED WELL WITH
WHAT THE MILLERS WANTED TO SEE
IN THEIR HOME AND IT MAKES IT
HIGHLY PERSONAL.
HIGHLY PERSONAL. ALEXANDER GERRARD WANTED TO
CUSTOMIZE THING AND MAKE THIS
APPROPRIATE FOR A PARTICULAR
COMMISSION OR CLIENT, AND YOU
SEE A LOT OF THAT HERE AT THE
MILLER HOUSE.
MILLER HOUSE. AND IT'S, I THINK, ALEXANDER
GIRARD'S PRESENCE IN THE HIGH
MODERNIST INTERIOR THAT REACHES
OUT AND PROVIDES SOMETHING TO
PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN RESPOND TO.
THE CONVERSATION PIT IS ALWAYS
AN EYE CATCHER.
YOU CAN SEE IN A HOUSE HIKE THIS
THE WALLS ARE MARRIBLE AND THE
FLOORS ARE TRAVERTINE.
IT IS NOT THE SORT OF PACE WHERE
YOU CAN PAINT THE HOUSE.
SO MRS. MILLER WAS VERY
INTERESTED IN WAYS TO KEEP THE
HOUSE ENLIVENED.
HOUSE ENLIVENED. YOU CAN SEE THAT EVEN IN THE
KITCHEN, FEATURES A RUG ON THE
FLOOR THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR THE
SPACE BY ALEXANDER GIRARD AND
BEAUTIFUL VENETIAN GLASS TILES
ON THE BACKSPLASH BEHIND THE
STOVE.
STOVE. IT ADDS A REALLY STRONG NOTE OF
BLUE TO THE SPACE.
>> THE MILLER HOUSE IS AN
IMPRESSIVE BALANCE OF THE CLEAN
GEOMETRY OF MODERNISM AND THE
BRIGHT COLOR OF DOMESTIC LIFE.
>> IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE ALL
AROUND.
AROUND. IT'S BEEN MY GREAT PLEASURE TO
SHOW THIS HOUSE TO PEOPLE FOR
THE FIRST TIME, AND THE COMMENT
THAT I GET MOST OFTEN IS THAT
PEOPLE FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW,
ALTHOUGH IT'S A MODERNIST
BUILDING AND IT'S GOT A LOT OF
THOSE TYPICAL HARD SURFACES AND
STONES, STEEL, BUT IT HAS A REAL
WARMTH TO IT, IN THE DECORATION
AND PEOPLE RESPOND STRONGLY TO
THAT.
THAT. THEY FEEL IT'S A LIVABLE
MODERNIST BUILDING.
MODERNIST BUILDING. FOR THE FAN OF MODERNIST
ARCHITECTURE, DON'T MISS THE
MILLER HOUSE BECAUSE IT RATES AT
THE TOP.
THE TOP. ♪