Place to see: Farnsworth House, Plano, Illinois, United States

About this place:

The Farnsworth House, built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1951 and located near Plano, Illinois, is one of the most famous examples of modernist domestic architecture and was considered unprecedented in its day. Transcending any traditional domestic function or program, the importance of the house lies rather in the absolute purity and consistency of its architectural idea. As historian Franz Schulze has remarked: “Certainly the house is more nearly temple than dwelling, and it rewards aesthetic contemplation before it fulfills domestic necessity.”

Visit this masterpiece of steel-and-glass design on the banks of the Fox River. Mies’ temple-like pavilion both invites and challenges visitors – its unsurpassed views through transparent walls will cause you to consider anew how a man-made object best relates to nature. It’s not like any house you have ever been in.