In the Time of Permanent Change

Philip Johnson (1906-2005) was one of the pre-eminent figures in the 20th century American culture. He made his name as an architect, although considering himself more of a writer and historian. As an architect he was for many years connected with Mies van der Rohe. Among the results of their collaboration were Johnson’s own residence in New Canaan, Connecticut, and the famous Seagram Building. A representative anthology of Johnson’s essays accompanied with a great interview by Peter Eisenman is not only a reflection of his work and its changes, but also a panorama of the epoch featuring all major architects of the 20th century.