OVERVIEW

Trophy

March 26/27, 2009
Mission: The Philip Johnson Glass House is an icon of modernism.
Moderator: Michael Bierut, Pentagram
 
Icons come in different shapes and sizes, from super heroes to houses, from religious artifacts to widely recognized objects that define culture, history and daily life.  Trophy was explored as icon, but also as monument, legacy and aspiration.  Within the context of the Glass House, participants compared the Glass House structure (the icon) within the context of the entire 47-acre site (the legacy).  Trophies were described as reductive, freezing a lost moment of greatness.   Landscapes, however, challenge the idea of “trophy” as they are monuments in motion, always changing, never finished.

Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities for making icons accessible and meaningful to the broad public. “Trophies can be dead, or they can talk to you and inspire you.” Trophies suggest aspirations. Superman was discussed as a modern icon, exhibiting the shapes and colors of the Bauhaus.  Like the progressive ideas that shaped modernism, super heroes in DC Comics serve rather than rule society. 

Different approaches for preserving modern architectural icons were discussed. Recently, modern homes have been promoted as “trophies.”  However, Philip Johnson and Albert Frey, among others, didn’t define modern buildings as historic, but as part of a modern continuum.  The decision to restore a modern home to its original specifications challenges the progressive canon that defines the idea and practice of modernism, especially as there are opportunities to employ new materials and technologies for efficiency and economy.