Miller House (Columbus, Indiana)

Last updated

Miller House
Miller House in Columbus.jpg
Southern entrance
Location map of Bartholomew County, Indiana.svg
Red pog.svg
USA Indiana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Columbus, Indiana
ArchitectEero Saarinen
MPS Modernism in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Design, and Art in Bartholomew County, 1942-1965 MPS
NRHP reference No. 00000706
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 16, 2000 [1]
Designated NHLMay 16, 2000 [2]

The Miller House and Garden, also known as Miller House, is a mid-century modern home designed by Eero Saarinen and located in Columbus, Indiana, United States. [3] The residence, commissioned by American industrialist, philanthropist, and architecture patron J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia Simons Miller in 1953, is now owned by Newfields. [4] Miller supported modern architecture in the construction of a number of buildings throughout Columbus, Indiana. [5] Design and construction on the Miller House took four years and was completed in 1957. [6] The house stands at 2860 Washington St, Columbus Indiana, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2000. [2] The Miller family owned the home until 2008, when Xenia Miller, the last resident of the home, died. [7]

Contents

In 2009, the home and gardens, along with many of the original furnishings, were donated to the Indianapolis Museum of Art by members of the Miller family. [8] In addition to Eero Saarinen, the house and gardens showcase the work of leading 20th-century figures such as interior designer Alexander Girard, [4] landscape architect Dan Kiley, [4] and principal design associate at the Saarinen office, Kevin Roche. [5]

Architecture

As a friend of J. Irwin and Xenia Miller, [9] Eero Saarinen had first designed a summer house in the Muskoka region of Ontario, Canada, for the family and was then asked to conceptualize and build the Miller House in Columbus, Indiana. [9] The Miller house was meant to be a year-round residence, rather than just a vacation home. [10] The Millers wanted a home in which they could entertain heads of state and titans of industry. [11] At about 6,838 square feet, [8] the Miller House is one of very few single family homes that Saarinen designed. [3]

The Miller House epitomizes the modernist architectural tradition developed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe with its open and flowing layout, flat roof, and stone and glass walls. [4] Within the interior of the home, four non-public areas branch off from a central space, which features a conversation pit. These four branches include rooms for parents, children, guests and servants, and utilitarian areas (kitchen and laundry). [3] The plan avoids a conventional axial organization, instead displacing the hierarchy of the rooms with a more egalitarian and functional arrangement. [12] The geometry of the house's plan is similar to Andrea Palladio's 16th-century Villa Rotunda in its organization of rooms around a central space. [12]

A grid pattern of skylights, supported by a set of sixteen free-standing cruciform steel columns, demonstrates concern for the interplay of light and shadow. [4] A cylindrical fireplace, a 50-foot long storage wall, and the sunken conversation pit are key elements of the modern design of the central space. [8]

The completed house was photographed in 1958 by Ezra Stoller for an article that appeared in The Architecture Forum. [8] The Millers made only minor changes to the house over the years, including the removal of an interior wall in order to enlarge a guest room. [9]

Landscape architecture

Saarinen brought in landscape architect Dan Kiley, with whom he had worked on the St. Louis Gateway Arch. [12] Kiley wanted the landscape to be an extension of the home, loosely divided into three sections extending from the corresponding sections of the house, each with its own identity. [5] The Miller House is an example of residential landscape design that puts a modernist face on formal European gardens, which rely on symmetry and geometry. [8]

The plot of land, bounded by the Flatrock River on the west and Washington Street on the east, measures about 13.5 acres. [8] Kiley left the long meadow that sweeps toward the river largely untouched, choosing to focus his attention on shaping spaces around the house. Much of the vegetation, like the weeping beeches on the west side of the house, were placed there strategically to protect living areas from natural intruders like sun and wind. [13]

An allée of horse chestnut trees lines the entry drive, [4] which reveals the house slowly as one approaches. [12] The Millers did not want their home to be an imposing object in the landscape from the entrance of their property or from their neighbors' homes. [12] Gridded blocks of apple trees are present on the lawn farther east. [5] The easternmost edge of the property is planted with staggered blocks of arborvitae, creating a hedge that serves as a porous boundary. [12] The garden areas to the north of the house were originally planted with redbuds, which were later replaced with crabapples. [12] In the southwest corner there is a swimming pool also surrounded by arborvitae hedges. [12]

One of the most notable features of the landscape design is the allée of honey locust trees that runs along the west side of the house which frames the view of the meadow and the river beyond it. [4] The allée received a terminus at each end in subsequent years: Henry Moore's Draped Reclining Woman at the north end, and a bas relief by Jacques Lipchitz at the south. [13] As part of a landscape renovation conducted by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. of Cambridge, MA, the Honey Locust allée was replanted in the Spring of 2008. The iconic Moore sculpture was sold and removed from garden following Xenia Miller's death in 2008.

The grounds underwent an extensive landscape refresh in 2022, especially on the areas surround the swimming pool and both orchards. [14]

Interior design

The influential conversation pit in the Miller House Miller house, Columbus, Indiana, 1953-57. Living area from terrace - 00351v.jpg
The influential conversation pit in the Miller House

Architect and interior designer Alexander Girard worked closely with the Millers to furnish the residence. [8] His choices for fabrics, textiles, furniture, and ornaments are said to bring warmth and color to the rectilinearity and geometry of the house. [8]

Girard designed a 50-foot storage wall made up of cabinets, bookshelves, and niches that allow equipment to remain hidden while the Millers' eclectic objects can be displayed. [8] Some of these objects included folk art from Mexico, Asia, and Eastern Europe. [8] He designed patterns for many of the curtains in the house, as well as several rugs. [8] One of the latter is composed of emblems that represent family history and interests. [8] His designs for cushions for the dining room chairs feature the initials of family members. [8] Girard is credited with suggesting the idea of the conversation pit, which eliminates the look of cluttered seating in the expansive living room, reinforcing the linearity of the architecture. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Columbus is a city in, and the county seat of, Bartholomew County, Indiana, United States. The population was 50,474 at the 2020 census. The city is known for its architectural significance, having commissioned noted works of modern architecture and public art since the mid-20th century; the annual program Exhibit Columbus celebrates this legacy. Located about 40 mi (64 km) south of Indianapolis, on the east fork of the White River, it is the state's 20th-largest city. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Indiana metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Bartholomew County. Columbus is the birthplace of former Indiana Governor and former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eero Saarinen</span> Finnish-American architect (1910–1961)

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer who created a wide array of innovative designs for buildings and monuments, including the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan; the passenger terminal at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.; the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport; and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. He was the son of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Roche</span> Irish-born American architect (1922–2019)

Eamonn Kevin Roche was an Irish-born American Pritzker Prize-winning architect. Kevin Roche was the archetypal modernist and "member of an elite group of third generation modernist architects — James Stirling, Jorn Utzon, and Robert Venturi — and is considered to be the most logical and systematic designer of the group. He and his partner John Dinkeloo of the firm KRJDA produced over a half-century of matchless creativity."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living room</span> Room in a residential house for relaxing and socializing

In Western architecture, a living room, also called a lounge room, lounge, sitting room, or drawing room, is a room for relaxing and socializing in a residential house or apartment. Such a room is sometimes called a front room when it is near the main entrance at the front of the house. In large, formal homes, a sitting room is often a small private living area adjacent to a bedroom, such as the Queens' Sitting Room and the Lincoln Sitting Room of the White House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Christian Church</span> Eero Saarinen-designed church in Columbus, Indiana

The North Christian Church is a church in Columbus, Indiana. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Christian Church. The church building of 1964 was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen (1910–1961) and completed in 1964. Saarinen's father Eliel Saarinen had designed the First Christian Church in Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Christian Church (Columbus, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

The First Christian Church is a church in Columbus, Indiana, United States, built in 1942. It was the first contemporary building in Columbus and one of the first churches in the United States to be built in a contemporary architectural style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irwin Conference Center</span> United States historic place

The Irwin Conference Center was designed by Eero Saarinen and built in 1954 in Columbus, Indiana, United States. It is currently owned and operated by Cummins, whose world headquarters is located across Jackson Street in the Cummins Corporate Office Building. In recognition of its unique and beautiful design, the resource was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 2001.

Joseph Irwin Miller was an American industrialist, patron of modern architecture, and lay leader in the Christian ecumenical movement and civil rights. He was instrumental in the rise of the Cummins Corporation and in giving his home town international stature with its modern architecture buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-century modern</span> Architectural, interior, product, and graphic design of the mid-20th century

Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 1970 during the United States's post-World War II period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Knoll</span> American architect (1917–2019)

Florence Marguerite Knoll Bassett was an American architect, interior designer, furniture designer, and entrepreneur who has been credited with revolutionizing office design and bringing modernist design to office interiors. Knoll and her husband, Hans Knoll, built Knoll Associates into a leader in the fields of furniture and interior design. She worked to professionalize the field of interior design, fighting against gendered stereotypes of the decorator. She is known for her open office designs, populated with modernist furniture and organized rationally for the needs of office workers. Her modernist aesthetic was known for clean lines and clear geometries that were humanized with textures, organic shapes, and colour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Kiley</span> American landscape architect (1912–2004)

Daniel Urban Kiley was an American landscape architect, who worked in the style of modern architecture. Kiley designed over one-thousand landscape projects including Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Girard</span> American architect and designer

Alexander Girard, affectionately known as Sandro, was an architect, interior designer, furniture designer, industrial designer, and a textile designer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knoll, Inc.</span> American furniture company

Knoll is an American company that manufactures office systems, seating, storage systems, tables, desks, textiles, and accessories for the home, office, and higher education. The company is the licensed manufacturer of furniture designed by architects and designers such as Harry Bertoia, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, Florence Knoll, Frank Gehry, Charles Gwathmey, Maya Lin, Marcel Breuer, Eero Saarinen, and Lella and Massimo Vignelli, under the company's KnollStudio division. Over 40 Knoll designs can be found in the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Lutheran (Minneapolis, Minnesota)</span> Historic church in Minnesota, United States

Christ Church Lutheran is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Minneapolis. Its buildings—a sanctuary with chapel (1949) and an education wing (1962) designed by Finnish-American architects Eliel Saarinen and Eero Saarinen—have been internationally recognized, most recently in 2009 as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S Department of the Interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House</span> Historic house in Michigan, United States

The Charles J. and Ingrid V. (Frendberg) Koebel House is a private house located at 203 Cloverly Road in Grosse Pointe Farms. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conversation pit</span> Architectural feature

A conversation pit is an architectural feature that incorporates built-in seating into a depressed section of flooring within a larger room. This area often has a table in the center as well. The seats typically face each other in a centrally focused fashion, bringing the occupants closer together than free-standing tables and chairs normally would. In residential design this proximity facilitates comfortable human conversation, dinner parties, and table top games. Its disadvantages include accidental falls and uncomfortable interactions with those standing above in the main room.

Landmark Columbus is the progressive preservation program arm of Landmark Columbus Foundation that is dedicated to caring for and celebrating the world-renowned cultural heritage of Columbus, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibit Columbus</span> Annual exploration of community, architecture, art, and design in Columbus, Indiana

Exhibit Columbus is a program of Landmark Columbus Foundation and an exploration of community, architecture, art, and design relating to Columbus, Indiana, United States. It features the internationally sought after J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize.

Xenia Simons Miller was a philanthropist and patron of art and modern architecture. She was married to the CEO of Cummins, J. Irwin Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Dinkeloo</span> United States Navy soldier and architect (1918–1981)

John Gerard Dinkeloo was an American architect who was active during the 20th century. He was a principal in the architectural firm Roche-Dinkeloo. A quiet and unassuming man, Dinkeloo chose to step away from the limelight along with his equally modest partner Kevin Roche, though both had designed some of the most iconic buildings in the world.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Miller House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 Roman, Antonio (2003). Eero Saarinen: An Architecture of Multiplicity. Princeton Architectural Press.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kamin, Blair (April 2, 2011). "CityScapes: The Miller House and Garden opens in May for public tours". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kiley, Dan; Jane, Amidon (1999). Dan Kiley: The Complete Works of America's Master Landscape Architect. Bulfinch.
  6. ↑ Stephens, Suzanne (February 2011). "Miller House and Garden". Architectural Record. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  7. ↑ Khemsurov, Monica (March 28, 2011). "Living Color". New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Lange, Alexandra (April 4, 2011). "Making the Modern House Home". The Design Observer Group. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Webb, Michael (2001). Modernism Reborn: Mid-Century American Houses. Universe.
  10. ↑ Sveiven, Megan (March 2, 2011). "AD Classics: Miller House and Garden / Eero Saarinen". Arch Daily. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  11. ↑ Barreneche, Raul (May 2011). "America's Most Significant Modernist House". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Frankel, Felice (1991). Modern Landscape Architecture: Redefining the Garden. Abbeville Press.
  13. 1 2 Walker, Peter (1996). Invisible Garden: The Search for Modernism in the American Landscape. The MIT Press.
  14. ↑ Hickman, Matt (May 10, 2022). "Extensive landscape refresh complete at Columbus's iconic Miller House and Garden". The Architect's Newspaper. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.