Book Preview: the 20 most influential houses of the 20th century
In his new book, 20/20, architect John Pardey runs through the most influential houses of the 20th century, telling the story of some of the greatest architects too, everyone from Rietveld to Niemeyer.
Running chronologically, 20/20 begins with the 1924 Schröder House in the Dutch city of Utrecht, designed by Gerrit Rietveld as a convention-shattering experiment in modern living, and ‘the first truly open-plan domestic space in architecture’, according to Pardey. From there it’s a globe-trotting journey to France for a look at Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye and Pierre Chareau’s Maison de Verre; the Czech Republic for Mies van der Rohe’s early work, and then onwards to the US and its abundance of mid-century masterpieces, Italy, Brazil and Mexico.
Some of the examples, like the Case Study houses (by Eames, Neutra and Koenig) are expected, while others, such as Charles Gwathmey’s 1965 Gwathmey House in Amagansett, New York, and Can Lis in Mallorca, designed by Jørn Utzon in 1972, will be less familiar to some, and are welcomed additions to the roll call. Pardey’s writing is detailed, knowledgeable, and personable, drawing from his own visits, rather than academic studies. And the focus falls less on the minutiae of each 20 houses, but instead on the characters, lives, work and motivations of their designers – did you know that Alvar Aalto entered almost 34 competitions without success before he landed the Paimio Sanatorium gig, kickstarting his career?
Looking at Pardey’s residential work, which has included the celebrated Cheeran House, sold via our agency in 2018, it’s not hard to see how the greats of the last century have influenced him. Pardey’s lines are clean and sharp, glazing is used extensively, a connection to the outdoors underpins almost every project, interiors are open and functional and materials are often natural and honest. It is a portfolio that openly praises the 20th-century architects that made it possible: perhaps this is the greatest testament of all to the houses he champions in 20/20.
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