The Edith Farnsworth House was designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1945 as a country house for Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Completed in 1951, the house is located on a site within the Fox River flood plain in Plano, Illinois. The National Trust for Historic Preservation purchased the Farnsworth House in 2003 and Landmarks Illinois holds a preservation easement on the property. The tour will provide up-close access to view in-progress repairs being currently performed on the house facade. Repairs consist of replacing broken glass units and existing polished plate glass units with new tempered glass units. A total of eight glass units are being replaced. As part of the glass replacement, the steel framing and glass stops within each opening will be prepared and re-coated with a high performance coating. We will discuss the technical and material challenges that are present on the house enclosure and steps being considered to further preserve the structure.
The group will meet and park at the Visitor’s Center, which is located directly to the east of the main site. The walk from the Visitor’s Center to the house itself is approximately one-quarter mile, so please plan to dress according to the weather and wear appropriate footwear as the site walkways are not paved.
Registration is limited to APT WGLC members and their guests (one guest per member).