Neiman Marcus Christmas House!

Neiman Marcus Christmas House!

Neiman Marcus Christmas House!

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As one of the much anticipated fantasy gifts in this year’s Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, for $30,000 some lucky person will be able to spend the night and entertain as many as ten friends for dinner in the iconic Glass House designed by Philip Johnson. It is also the opportunity to privately and more personally understand how it must have been to live as one of the twentieth century’s most revered visionaries as you wander among the 14 architectural structures, study his world-class modern painting and sculpture collection, visit the private library, and stroll through the 47 acres of landscaped grounds. The multi course dinner that will be served to you and your guests will be provided locally and will be enjoyed at Johnson’s own dining table separated from the great outdoors by only walls of glass.

Philip Johnson, when asked to compare the difference between architecture and landscape, declared he saw them as one art. Starting out with only five acres that held the Glass House and its total opposite, the Brick house, he and his lifetime partner, David Whitney, increased the property to 47 acres over their lifetime, which became a pallet to house his other structures. Johnson referred to the entirety as his "fifty-year-diary." Johnson graduated from Harvard in classics and philosophy in 1930. From 1928 until his graduation he traveled through Europe visiting modern architects. In 1930, he went on to be appointed the first director of the Department of Architecture at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and later was involved in organizing exhibitions on architecture. In 1940, he went back to Harvard and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Graduate School of Design. He began designing the Glass House in 1943 along with the Brick House, both of which were completed in 1949.

Since 1926, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book has offered fantasy gifts for the very wealthy. One of this year's gift wishes is "The Glass House Experience." For $30,000, a lucky buyer can spend the night and entertain up to ten friends for dinner at the Connecticut glass house designed by Philip Johnson in 1949. Other fantasy gifts on the 2013 list include a custom-built library, a yurt, speedboat and a 2012 Ferrari F sports car.

Source: philipjohnsonglasshouse.org