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Broken Glass

Mies van der Rohe, Edith Farnsworth, and the Fight Over a Modernist Masterpiece

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Broken Glass

Auteur(s): Alex Beam
Narrateur(s): Kimberly Farr
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 The true story of the intimate relationship that gave birth to the Farnsworth House, a masterpiece of twentieth-century architecture—and disintegrated into a bitter feud over love, money, gender, and the very nature of art.

“An intimate portrait . . . alive with architectural intrigue.”—Architect Magazine

In 1945, Edith Farnsworth asked the German architect Mies van der Rohe, already renowned for his avant-garde buildings, to design a weekend home for her outside of Chicago. Edith was a woman ahead of her time—unmarried, she was a distinguished medical researcher, as well as an accomplished violinist, translator, and poet. The two quickly began spending weekends together, talking philosophy, Catholic mysticism, and, of course, architecture over wine-soaked picnic lunches. Their personal and professional collaboration would produce the Farnsworth House, one of the most important works of architecture of all time, a blindingly original structure made up almost entirely of glass and steel.

But the minimalist marvel, built in 1951, was plagued by cost overruns and a sudden chilling of the two friends’ mutual affection. Though the building became world famous, Edith found it impossible to live in, because of its constant leaks, flooding, and complete lack of privacy. Alienated and aggrieved, she lent her name to a public campaign against Mies, cheered on by Frank Lloyd Wright. Mies, in turn, sued her for unpaid monies. The ensuing lengthy trial heard evidence of purported incompetence by an acclaimed architect, and allegations of psychological cruelty and emotional trauma. A commercial dispute litigated in a rural Illinois courthouse became a trial of modernist art and architecture itself.

Interweaving personal drama and cultural history, Alex Beam presents a stylish, enthralling narrative tapestry, illuminating the fascinating history behind one of the twentieth century’s most beautiful and significant architectural projects. Architecture Art et littérature Artistes, architectes et photographes Femmes

Ce que les critiques en disent

“Beam’s thorough and thoughtful account is both a knowing biography of an object—the house—and of its two principals, the well-documented Mies and the widely overlooked Farnsworth.”—The New York Times

“Mies van der Rohe was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century, and Mr. Beam provides an exceptionally perceptive character study of this complex and often impenetrable figure.”—The Wall Street Journal

“This engrossing page turner is a portrait of two complex people and a fascinating history of a modern architectural masterpiece.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“It is a compelling book—perhaps the best narrative I have ever read about modern architecture.”—The Spectator

“An amazing story, brilliantly told . . . Alex Beam quickens your interest in every detail. His sensitive insights into architecture are matched by his feeling for psychology and for all the hilarious, petty, surprising minutiae of human relationships.”—Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer Prize–winning art critic and author of The Art of Rivalry

“Alex Beam begins with a simple foundation—a man, a woman, and a house—out of which he constructs a nuanced biography of one of the twentieth century’s most fascinating architects, a portrait of his brilliant and pioneering patron, and a dramatic tale of the impassioned battle over a work of art that consumed them both. Broken Glass is compelling from the first page as it chronicles, in delicious and sometimes hilarious detail, the mere mortals behind a Modern masterpiece.”—Mary Gabriel, author of Ninth Street Women

“Just when we thought everything had been said . . . an impressively comprehensive and moving account of the flawed architect-client relationship (and probably more) that lead to the greatest architectural masterpiece of the twentieth century.”—Reinier de Graaf, architect and author of Four Walls and a Roof

“The Farnsworth House occupies an essential place on architecture’s time line—but in the able hands of Alex Beam, its backstory offers a drama worthy of Edward Albee. Drawing upon trial transcripts, memoirs, and generations of critical appraisals, Beam offers a richly detailed look at how an apparently simple commission evanesced into an enduring modernist landmark of glass and steel. Broken Glass leaves us pondering an intriguing paradox: How does one inhabit a work of art?”—Hugh Howard, author of Architecture’s Odd Couple
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I was enjoying this book, and was half way through it when they went to court… and realized I hadn’t been paying enough attention. I wanted to be sure I hadn’t missed any details, so I started again. Such an intriguing story. And what an incredible house, despite the issues. I brought up pictures of it to look at while I listened. Highly recommended!

Great book!

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This very well-researched book tells the true story of the Farnsworth House, a small country retreat designed and built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, that many consider momentous in the history of 20th century architecture.

It is in fact a sad tale about the difficulty of communicating. Dr. Farnsworth, the client, was a brilliant woman, far ahead of her times, who became a medical doctor but would probably have preferred to be an artist. Mies, the architect, certainly perceived himself as an artist and was not concerned with the practicality of things, or at least of this specific creation. Who could possibly be entitled to complain even if it is built in a floodplain, if its roof leaks, if it cannot be heated or ventilated properly?

This book sheds a stark light on Mies van der Rohe and on the short-sightedness of the supporters of the International Style. It will be of particular interest to anyone called to deal with architects, in their professional or personal lives.

Very Worthwhile!

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The story is fascinating, particularly after having read Mark Lamster's book on Philip Johnson, Jacques Herzog's Treacherous Transparencies, and Detlef Mertin's The Presence of Mies. There's a good deal of context for the collapse of Mies' and Farnsworth's relationship through this house. It paints a harsh image of Mies as someone unbothered by his vices, the client's basic comforts, or the treatment of his family, and similarly of Farnsworth as only superficially aware of what was playing out over the years of construction and enjoying her association with this figure. While the practical issues surrounding the architecture are discussed, its critical reception or any form of analysis of the building itself is left for other books and that's fine. Also FLW sounds like a jerk, if that wasn't already known.


The narrator however is another matter. Hearing those German, Dutch, and French names and architectural terms pronounced so cluelessly is cringe-inducing. At one point, hearing "Ludwig" pronounced as though it rhymed with dud and whinge was a particularly egregious example. Who? What's this book about? Yikes. Given the material involved and the likely audience, this seems like an unfortunate oversight.

Fascinating Story

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