Mies van der Rohe's famous Farnsworth House has officially been renamed the Edith Farnsworth House, in honour of the woman behind the project's commission. The Plano, Illinois home, one of the architect's most instantly recognisable projects and a key landmark in modernist architecture worldwide, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. And while the design's renowned architect has been feted in all manner of ways, its visionary client, Edith Farnsworth, has so far taken a back seat.
This is set to change, as an official rededication ceremony on site this week recognised Dr Farnsworth – the client, benefactor and supporter of the arts who created this home for herself by appointing Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to work on the residential design, which was completed in 1951. Addressing the important role of the client in any architectural project, as well as the balance between Farnsworth and Mies van der Rohe's role in the particular commission, the renaming feels a key step in acknowledging Farnsworth's contribution.
‘We hope this seemingly simple act of inserting her first name has the larger effect of inserting her into the ongoing history of modern architecture,' says executive director of the Edith Farnsworth House, Scott Mehaffey.
‘Without Edith Farnsworth, Mies van der Rohe’s American career might have remained stalled and his stature been usurped by that of his contemporaries. Edith was fully aware that she was both a client and a patron, and she played an active role in the design of her house, which has become a celebrated milestone in the evolution of modernism.'
The rededication ceremony took place on 17 November 2021, the date of Edith Farnsworth's birthday. The event is accompanied by programming that reflects this and tells the story around the life of this inspired architecture enthusiast and client.
‘The Edith Farnsworth House has always been a place of barrier-breaking ideas, and its rededication carries that legacy forward in deeply meaningful ways,' says Katherine Malone-France, chief preservation officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. ‘Doing this not only acknowledges the important role of Edith Farnsworth, but it also demonstrates that historic sites can and must continue to evolve as they tell us the truth about ourselves and help us define a more just and equitable future.'
INFORMATION
-
Inside yacht maker Azimut’s horizon-expanding HQ, by Michele De Lucchi’s AMDL CircleThe design of Azimut’s headquarters in Piedmont, Italy, is open, adaptable, and befitting ‘a place of creativity’
-
‘Belonging’ – the LFA 2026 theme is revealed, exploring how places can become personalThe idea of belonging and what it means in today’s world will be central at the London Festival of Architecture’s explorations, as the event’s 2026 theme has been announced today
-
Composer Max Richter’s new trilogy turns Krug champagnes into musicIn a dialogue between taste and sound, Krug and the genre-defying composer embark on a musical journey that celebrates intentional craftsmanship
-
Ballman Khaplova creates a light-filled artist’s studio in upstate New YorkThis modest artist’s studio provides a creative with an atelier and office in the grounds of an old farmhouse, embedding her practice in the surrounding landscape
-
Three lesser-known Danish modernist houses track the country’s 20th-century architectureWe visit three Danish modernist houses with writer, curator and architecture historian Adam Štěch, a delve into lower-profile examples of the country’s rich 20th-century legacy
-
The most important works of modernist landscape architecture in the USModernist landscapes quite literally grew alongside the modern architecture movement. Field specialist and advocate Charles A. Birnbaum takes us on a tour of some of the finest examples
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthThis September, Wallpaper highlighted a striking mix of architecture – from iconic modernist homes newly up for sale to the dramatic transformation of a crumbling Scottish cottage. These are the projects that caught our eye
-
Jeanne Gang’s single malt whisky decanter offers a balance ‘between utility and beauty’The architect’s whisky decanter, 'Artistry in Oak', brings a sculptural dimension to Gordon & MacPhail's single malt
-
An idyllic slice of midcentury design, the 1954 Norton House has gone on the marketNorton House in Pasadena, carefully crafted around its sloping site by Buff, Straub & Hensman, embodies the Californian ideal of the suburban modern house embedded within a private landscape
-
Richard Neutra's Case Study House #20, an icon of Californian modernism, is for salePerched high up in the Pacific Palisades, a 1948 house designed by Richard Neutra for Dr Bailey is back on the market
-
Herzog & de Meuron and Piet Oudolf unveil Calder Gardens in PhiladelphiaThe new cultural landmark presents Alexander Calder’s work in dialogue with nature and architecture, alongside the release of Jacques Herzog’s 'Sketches & Notes'. Ellie Stathaki interviews Herzog about the project.
