Robert Venturi, FAIA's famous Vanna Venturi House in Philadelphia has hit the market. The architect designed the 1,986-square-foot house, built in the 1960s, for his mother, and it has become a hallmark of postmodern architecture. Writing many decades later about Venturi's retirement, ARCHITECT's editor-in-chief Ned Cramer described the house as a "miscegenistic wedding of Orthodox ribbon window and heretic pitched roof." It also appeared in the PBS documentary, "Ten Buildings That Changed America," as well as on a U.S. postage stamp. The house listing itself acknowledges its architectural significance: "To the amateur eye it can be puzzling, but with some education about its juxtaposition of traditional design against more complex forms, its status as a groundbreaking residential design becomes clear." The three-bedroom, two-bath house is located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and is listed for $1.75 million.
For more information and images about the Vanna Venturi House, visit ARCHITECT's Project Gallery.
