The architectural landscape of the 20th century was fundamentally redefined by the career of Philip Johnson, an American figure whose transition from museum curator to designer altered the built environment. Born in Cleveland in 1906, he leveraged early influence as an art historian to champion the International Style before becoming a central architect of postmodernism.
Early Influence at the Museum of Modern Art
Johnson graduated from Harvard University in 1930 with a focus on history and philosophy. Shortly thereafter, he founded the architecture department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1932, he collaborated with Henry-Russell Hitchcock to organize a seminal exhibition on modern architecture, which defined the International Style for the American public. During this period, he facilitated the immigration of European architects including Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Marcel Breuer, who had fled Nazi Germany.
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Between 1934 and 1941, Johnson deviated from architecture to engage in journalism and radical politics. He supported figures such as Huey Long and contributed to Social Justice, where he published accounts reflecting fascist sympathies. After witnessing the invasion of Poland in 1939, he eventually renounced these views, joined the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 1941, and served in the military. He later characterized this era as a profound personal error.
Architectural Legacy and Recognition
Post-war, Johnson established a prolific practice. His notable projects include his own residence in New Canaan—known as the Glass House—and the Crystal Cathedral. His work spanned the transition from rigorous modernist principles to the eclectic forms of postmodernism. He became the inaugural winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979 and received the AIA Gold Medal in 1978. Johnson continued his professional output until his death in 2007 in New Canaan.
Fast facts
- Born: 1906, Cleveland, United States
- Died: 2007, New Canaan, United States
- Education: Harvard University, Harvard Graduate School of Design
- Pritzker Architecture Prize recipient: 1979
- AIA Gold Medal recipient: 1978
- Notable work: Glass House, Crystal Cathedral
- Movement: Modern and Postmodern architecture
Questions readers ask
What was the International Style?
It was a movement in modern architecture introduced to the American public by Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock through their 1932 Museum of Modern Art exhibition.
Did Philip Johnson receive major industry awards?
Yes, he was the first recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979 and received the AIA Gold Medal in 1978.
Achievements
- Pritzker Architecture Prize — 1979
- National Medal of Arts
- Notable work: Crystal Cathedral
- Notable work: Philip Johnson House
- Educated at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard University and Hackley School
- Worked as architect, art historian and architectural historian
