Lego farnsworth house - 21009 Instruction Manual

Page of 64
The essential characteristics of the house are immediately apparent. 
The extensive use of clear floor-to-ceiling glass opens the interior to its 
natural surroundings to an extreme degree. Two distinctly expressed 
horizontal slabs, which form the roof and the floor, sandwich an open 
space for living. The slab edges are defined by exposed steel structural 
members painted pure white. The house is elevated five feet three inches 
(1.60 m) above the flood plain by eight steel columns, which are attached 
to the sides of the floor and ceiling slabs. The end of the slabs extend 
beyond the column supports, creating cantilevers. The house seems 
to float weightlessly above the ground it occupies. A third floating 
slab, an attached terrace, acts as a transition between the living area 
and the ground. The house is accessed by two sets of wide steps 
connecting the ground to the terrace and then to the porch. As was 
often the case with Mies’ designs, the entrance is located on the sunny 
side, facing the river instead of the access road. 
7
21009_.indd   7
16/12/2010   7:03 PM