The Glass House
Philip Johnson'S 1949 House In New Canaan, A National Historic Landmark And A Site Of The National Trust For Historic Preservation; 49 Acres Holding Fourteen Structures Built Over Five Decades, Seen Only On A Booked Tour · New Canaan, Connecticut
Philip Johnson built the Glass House for himself in 1949 on a wooded ridge in New Canaan: a single room, thirty-two feet by fifty-six, with four glass walls, a brick cylinder holding the bathroom and the fireplace, and no interior partitions at all. It is one of the most discussed buildings of the twentieth century, and it was never meant to stand alone - Johnson kept adding to the 49-acre site for fifty years until there were fourteen structures on it, including the windowless Brick House opposite, a half-buried painting gallery, a sculpture gallery with a glass roof, a library and a folly in a pond. He lived here until his death in 2005 and left it to the National Trust. Access is by booked tour only, from a visitor centre in the village, and the tours sell out months ahead. Visitors are shuttled to the site rather than driving to it, the season runs roughly May to November, and the property closes entirely for the winter - which together are why a building this famous sits at 60 rather than higher.
199 Elm Street, New Canaan, New Canaan, Connecticut, 06840, United States
SEASONAL AND BY BOOKED TOUR ONLY. Tours run roughly from May to November and depart from the visitor centre in New Canaan village, not from the site - visitors are shuttled. There is no walk-in access and the property cannot be visited outside a tour. Capacity is very limited, several tour lengths are offered at different prices, and they sell out months in advance. Closed for the winter entirely.