Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House [Hardcover]

This photo collection captures the serene beauty of Farnsworth House in approximately 70 photos, divided almost equally between b&w and color. All were taken during the stewardship of the house's third, and current, owner. What this means is that the various 'homey' touches seen in photos taken during the time of its second owner are no longer in evidence. Therefore, it is at last fully revealed as it was intended to be experienced: a pure, temple-like space in communion with nature. Photographer Clemence has a true artist's feel for composition and quality of light which elevates many of these images into the rarified air of art in their own right. Presented most often one image per page, either full page or 5"x7" with a white surround, they are quite large enough to fully enjoy. A small handful take up the full breath of two pages for a panoramic view, but through skillful placement lose no important information in the gutter. All are identified, as to location and direction viewed, in a photo appendix at the rear of the book so as to eliminate any distraction from the images.

A foreward by Dirk Lohan, Mie's grandson, architectural heir and restoration architect of Farnsworth House provides a brief description and appreciation of the subject. However, Lohan raises almost as many questions as he answers. He notes,"furniture should intensify and reinforce the intrinsic qualities of the space in which it is placed." However, one easily sees that the furniture arrangement employed in the house is at odds with that shown in the floor plan reproduced here. This 'misplacement' includes the major, space dividing wardrobe cabinet. Also noted is the fact that Lohan himself designed several pieces of furniture, presumably during the restoration. The fireplace hearth is another item altered during the restoration. Unfortunately, the reasons behind these anomalies are not discussed. As the house was never properly furnished during the time of Dr. Farnsworth, are at least some of these deviations the result of conversations between Mies and Lohan, other furniture arrangements studied at the time or some other reason? He also continues the notion that Farnsworth is Mie's only built residence in the United States. The presence of the McCormick House in Illinois and the Greenwald House in Connecticut belies this. Or is there some compelling reason these two should be asterisked? As Lohan is an insider, this was a most unfortunate missed opportunity for clarification.

In the final analysis, the evocative power of these photos overrides any shortcoming of the text. Highly recommended!

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