Philip Johnson died in January 2005. He was 98. At the time of his death, he was one of the US’s most well recognised architects, responsible for many of that country’s finest structures. What has happened since his death is nothing short of architectural beatification. Fuelled in part by an emerging interest in the works of so-called Starchitects, Johnson’s iconic status is grounded in the fact that he is recognised as the man responsible for a modernist movement that sculpted the contemporary urban skyline of steel and glass.Whilst city buildings were his legacy to the world, Johnson was best known for the small, Connecticut home that he designed and lived in for much of his life. It is called The Glass House. For many, the structure is an essay in minimalism, proportion, geometry and the impact of transparency and light. The use of glass throughout relies on the landscape to form walls, not the material itself. Perhaps rather pathetically, I named my blog after this place. Consider it my virtual doff of the hat to Johnson’s brilliant mind.
Architects have always been a source of fascination to me. Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry were and are remarkably gifted individuals in their own specialist fields and I’ll consume details of their works like porridge on a cold, blustery morning. Each has been able to take raw materials and create an environment or space that can profoundly impact the way people feel. That, by any account, is quite a talent.
In his book, the Architecture of Happiness, Alain de Botton explored the psychology behind structures and forms and the reason they have such a significant impact on human emotion. His thinking is carried forward in many respects by organisations such as the Academy for Neuroscience for Architecture (I kid you not), who argue that the future of design is grounded in the science of emotion. Philip Johnson and his contemporaries didn’t need a degree in neuroscience to understand this fact. They created spaces with their head and hearts sitting side by side.
In many respects, what is most compelling about the works of Johnson is that it has formed such a remarkable legacy in its own right. Over the course of eight decades he left a body of work that will likely remain for decades to come. And that is what I admire most about him and his profession. That he and they are in the business of crafting a footprint for future generations to not only talk to, but to experience and embrace and, should they choose, criticise for want of something better. Architects are the artists of our time: the Picassos and the Hogarths and the Bacons, each creating forms that allow us to step inside, not just experience from a secured distance.
I can’t help but wonder what the legacy of my own industry, public relations, will be. Whilst some argue that we are in the business of building reputations, the fact is that these are far from solid, robust structures in the main. The old industry cliché that it takes years to build a reputation and only seconds to knock it down is fact. You have to keep working at it to keep it upright.
But I do believe we are in a point in our evolution where we have the opportunity to make decisions about the legacy that we leave. In a world where corporate responsibility is a social expectation, not a nice-to-have, our choices about the clients we work with have real relevance to our own reputation. Should we choose to support and argue the case for businesses that put revenue generation before quality labour practices, or ethical marketing practices or environmental impact, then we will be called to account. These are the things that all public relations firms will be judged on in the years to come. In such times, once in a while it is wise to step back from the organised chaos of every day and take stock of the legacy we could bequeath to future generations. Will be remembered for the spin? Or will we play our part in making sure organisations understand that Greenwashing is never a viable option, commercially or ethically? I know my preference. I wonder what Mr Johnson would say.
