TROPOLISM

Mies sad.

Way back in September, when we were a little quiet around these parts, the Farnsworth House got flooded. Yes, again. The house is built in a crappy spot. But it's Mies, and he did the mystic dance that caused him to select that site, so ne'er shall it be moved, or whatever. Anyway we've assembled some of the writing and images about it here, for your convenience.

First up is Preservation Nation, which documented the flooding on September 14, 2008, with a blog news alert, and, rock the party mic, a video of the building flooded. Crazily enough, the building is being restored after being flooded yet again. I visited the Farnsworth House when ye olde Lorde Palumbo owned it, in the spring of 1994. Shortly after my visit it flooded. Shortly after that it was restored. And we're guessing that there's been another flood or three since then? This is the abusive spouse of modern houses, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation is apparently the enabling abusee: they are offering tours to those interested in the restoration process, in order to pay for said restoration. For those who like architectural train wrecks. Like us!

Or like Strangeharvest! There's an essay there musing about their last visit to the house (also during Palumbotime) and a discussion of its relationship to nature.