In Memoriam: Philip Johnson

Philip Johnson, arguably the most influential American architect of the second half of the twentieth century (Frank Lloyd Wright being the most influential during the first half), died yesterday at the age of 98 (New York Times obituary here). His body of work is immense. The ones that have been a backdrop to my own personal life include, in Manhattan, the Museum of Modern Art (the sculpture garden in particular)(here), the AT&T Building with its elegant Chippendale top (here), the Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram Building (here), and in Texas, nearly every signature skyscraper in Dallas and Houston including Bank One Center (here), NCNB Center/Pennzoil Place and Transco Tower (here). Not to mention other Dallas/Fort Worth area landmarks like the John F. Kennedy Memorial (here), Thanksgiving Square (here), Amon Carter Museum (here), and Fort Worth Water Gardens (here). The Four Seasons Restaurant (site here), not to be confused with the hotel and resort chain, is a Park Avenue establishment (here) and happens to be a personal favorite for the occasional New York dining splurge. One of the few places that displays a genuine Picasso tapestry along with several Miros and Lichtensteins in its dining room. On our first trip out to New York together, T and I made a point of enjoying a dinner in the legendary Pool Room. The meal and the experience will stay with us for a very long time. This includes our server's surprise treat of an amazing mushroom consomme as well as his knowledgeable instructions on how to get to the Met at Lincoln Center in less than fifteen minutes by avoiding the evening crosstown traffic. That particular evening, we sat across from Andy Rooney, the essayist of 60 Minutes fame, engaging in a very animated conversation with a woman half his age. Hmm. Never a dull moment in Manhattan. As a bit of film trivia, the Seagram Building and the low key facade of the Four Seasons were used as the backdrop of a notable scene between Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in Breakfast at Tiffany's. In many ways, Philip Johnson has also been a "set designer" for the play that is my life.