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Philip Johnson's Orbit

WELCOME TO URBANICITY
SENSING URBANITY
LISTENING FOR WORDS
VIEWING IMAGES OF MYSTERY
LOVING MUSIC
READING FOR LIVING
CELEBRATING THE MIND
TRAVELING TO EXPLORE
SEARCHING THE FUTURE
MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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Philip Johnson

 The work of Philip Johnson (1906-2005) is a jumpy guidebook to 75 years of architectural trends. Chasing or pioneering the nouveau, it runs the gamut from his minimalist  cube house in the Connecticut woods to Dutch gable roofs to a decidedly post-modern Chippendale-topped office tower in Manhattan.
 
Despite his iconic leanings his basic instinct was to design from the inside out-- to organize interior space. He once said he wanted to build "the greatest room in the world." He got his chance in Garden Grove, California with a commission from evangelist Robert Schuller to design a huge glass cathedral. With the help of seismic engineers and his partner John Burgee the job was completed and doors opened in 1980.
 
The mega-church is a mirror-glazed envelope with a footprint of nearly an acre of land. In his mind the Crystal Cathedral was his crowining achivement.

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Remain curious.