Thursday August 26 – sunshine and a day of pleasant surprises. To Yale to see first Louis Khan’s 1953 extension to Yale Art Gallery – fuelled by expectations I found this slightly underwhelming - a feeling not helped by a Sol DeWitt ‘installation’ all over the wall behind the reception desk. Superb collection though.
Across the road stands Khan’s last building – the Yale Center for British Art (shown right). Again, an incredible collection housed in a quite wonderful building.
Nearby stands Paul Rudolph’s seminal 1958-63 Yale School of Architecture now happily restored to its original condition (and shown below). This was powerful and impressive and full of freshmen Masters students all looking bright eyed and fired with enthusiasm to match their surroundings.
Via a couple of Saarinen dormitory blocks (external views only) on the way to the SOM / Gordon Bunshaft Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library built in 158-63 and recently renovated (shown right)
A slightly forbidding exterior (though had led me to expect) gave way to a stunning interior with light filtered through marble wall panels to which my camera skills could do,little justice.The centre book stack might well have influenced Sandy Wilson’s treatment of the Kings’ Collection in the British Library.
The day finished with a real treat – a visit to Saarinen’s David S Ingalls Ice Hockey Rink completed in 1958 and refurbished in 2008. A generous guided tour showed us a timeless building of great character and beauty.
Friday August 27
I find myself unimpressed by Philip Johnson’s 1953 Ball House in New Caanan. Strangely orientated, poorly detailed – would make a nice beach house. We also saw a number of other modernist houses in the area – mostly from the outside. We shown a very impressive modern show house on a tight town site – all energy efficiency and gadgetry with an asking price that made the eyes water.
Philip Johnson again in the afternoon – this time the iconic Glass House (1949) which was great fun and deserving of its status. The stuff of fantasies. Surrounding buildings less interesting but some interesting modern art.
The final stop of the day was Richard Meier’s Smith House (below) overlooking Long Island Sound in Darien Connecticut. A truly spectacular house on a wonderful site – we were shown round by a welcoming and proud tenant (wannabe owner) – an engaging hedge fund man from London with an interesting art collection.
Saturday August 28
First stop Usonia- a planned development in the happily named Pleasantville in New York State. This was set up by group of idealistic men and women who, following WWII, in 1945 enlisted Frank Lloyd Wright to design and help them build a co-operative utopian community.
We spent several hours with Roland Reisley – one of the original owners who lives in the Usonian house both designed for (1951) and extended by FLW for Roland and his wife. His was a positive experience of the great man. Roland also walked us round large parts of the wider development pointing out other Wright houses and a selection of clones. He was utterly charming and has written a book about his experiences of working with Wright. His was a house (pictured below, right) one could happily live in and his generosity made for an unforgettable visit.
We then drove into New York where many took then opportunity on a beautiful evening to that the Ferry to Staaten Island for a meal in an excellent Italian restaurant. Great views of the Statue of Liberty and the waterfront by night on the return journey by ferry.
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