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The Farnsworth House was designed and constructed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe between 1945-51. It is a one-room weekend retreat in a once-rural setting, located southwest of Chicago's downtown on a estate site, adjoining the Fox River, south of the city of Plano, Illinois. The steel and glass house was commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a prominent Chicago nephrologist, as a place where she could engage in her hobbies: playing the violin, translating poetry, and enjoying nature. Mies created a house that is widely recognized as an iconic masterpiece of International Style of architecture. The home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, after joining the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The house is currently owned and operated as a house museum by the historic preservation group, National Trust for Historic Preservation. In September 2008, the house was flooded by rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Water levels reached about above the floor and the stilts upon which the house rests. Much of the furniture was saved by elevating it above the flood waters. The house was closed to the public for the remainder of 2008 for repairs and reopened for public visitation in spring 2009. ==History== Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was retained by Dr. Edith Farnsworth to design a weekend retreat during a dinner party in 1945. The wealthy client was highly intelligent, articulate, and intent on building a very special work of modern architecture. The program was to design the house as if it were for himself. Farnsworth had purchased the riverfront property from the publisher of the ''Chicago Tribune'', Colonel Robert R. McCormick. Mies developed the design in time for it to be included in an exhibit on his work at MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1947. After completion of design, the project was placed on hold awaiting an inheritance from an ailing aunt. Mies was to act as the general contractor as well as architect. Work began in 1950 and was substantially completed in 1951. The commission was an ideal one for any architect, but was marred by a very publicized dispute between Farnsworth and Mies that began near the end of construction. The total cost of the house was $74,000 in 1951 ($648,000 in 2012 dollars). A cost overrun of $15,600 over the approved pre-construction budget of $58,400, was due to escalating material prices resulting from inflationary commodities speculation in anticipation of demand arising from the mobilization for the Korean War. Near the completion of construction, Mies filed a lawsuit for non-payment of $28,173 in construction costs. The owner then filed a counter suit for damages due to alleged malpractice. Mies' attorneys proved that Farnsworth had approved the plans and budget increases, and the court ordered the owner to pay her bills. Farnsworth's malpractice accusations were dismissed as unsubstantiated. It was a bitter and hollow victory for Mies, considering the painful publicity that followed. The conflict resulted in an unfinished site and an unfurnished interior. The construction of a teak wardrobe closet and the system of bronze-framed screens to enclose the deck porch were completed to Mies' designs by his former employee and architect William Dunlap and a local millworker who mediated between them. Mies never communicated with Edith, nor spoke about their rumored relationship again. Edith continued to use the house as her weekend retreat for the next 21 years, often hosting architectural notables visiting to see the work of the world-famous architect. In 1968, the local highway department condemned a portion of the property adjoining the house for a new raised highway bridge over the Fox River. Farnsworth sued to stop the project but lost the court case. She sold the house in 1972, retiring to her villa in Italy. In 1972, Farnsworth House was purchased by British property magnate, art collector, and architectural aficionado Peter Palumbo.〔(Farnsworth House ), (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database (), Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved 10 February 2007.〕 He removed the bronze screen enclosure of the porch, added air conditioning, extensive landscaping and his art collections to the grounds, including sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy, Anthony Caro, and Richard Serra. At the time, the interior was furnished with Mies furniture, designed in the 1930s but produced more recently by Knoll, and designs by Dirk Lohan, Mies's grandson, a Chicago architect Lord Palumbo commissioned specifically for the house〔Carol Vogel (October 4, 2003), (Celebrated Mies House Up for Auction ) ''New York Times''.〕 In 2001, Palumbo struck a deal with the State of Illinois, which agreed to buy the house for $7 million and open it full-time to the public. But state officials withdrew from the deal in early 2003, saying $7 million was too much to spend at a time of financial crisis.〔Carol Vogel (October 17, 2003), (Big House on the Prairie ) ''New York Times''.〕 After owning the property for 31 years, Palumbo removed the art and put the property up for sale at Sotheby's in 2003,〔 raising serious concerns about the future of the building. Preservationists and contributors from around the world, including the Friends of the Farnsworth House, began a concerted preservation and fund-raising effort to keep the house on its original site. With this financial support, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois were able to purchase the house in December 2003 for a reported $7.5 million. Now operated as a house museum, the Farnsworth House is open to the public, with tours conducted by the National Trust.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title="About Us", www.farnsworthhouse.org )〕 The house is listed in the National Register and is designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.〔 In 2013, Lego Architecture series produced a model of the Farnsworth House as a part of their landmark series. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Farnsworth House」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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