The Farnsworth House is considered to be one of the most celebrated works of both modernist domestic and international style of architecture, which was designed by renowned German architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. After fleeing Nazi Germany for the United States in 1937, Mies was already nearing a somewhat a prominent status. A onetime director of the famous Bauhaus Architecture School had widely become accredited as the founder of the glass and steel modernist style. (Schulze & Windhorst, 2012)(Mertins, 2014) .
The story of the Farnsworth house begins sixty miles southwest of central Chicago, which is nestled along the banks of Fox River in Plano Illinois. The house was commissioned by Dr. Edith Farnsworth, which served as a weekend home only to be occupied by one individual. Dr. Farnsworth was a successful nephrologist who had purchased a considerable amount of land along the Fox River and was looking for an architect to design her a weekend home. Dr. Farnsworth's search led her to none other than Mies van der Rohe. The two had met one another at a dinner party, where it became apparent that there was an instantaneous connection between the two, which resulted in a relationship that went beyond one of a client and architect. During a conversation, Dr. Farnsworth had mentioned she owned a riverside site next to the Fox River and was looking for someone to design her a weekend home. She asked if Mies would have been interested in doing so, to which Mies's reply was 'yes'. (Vandenberg, 2005:14).
Both Dr. Farnsworth and Mies had ventured out to a narrow seven-acre site beside the Fox River. Mies described to Dr. Farnsworth a space that she could retreat to and enjoy the tranquil nature, without the stresses and strains of work and bustling city life. And so, this brought about the concept of a glass house being constructed. A design that views the surrounding nature, with a feeling of no separation from the inside of the house looking out.
