New Canaan’s Brick House reopens to public after 17 years
After 17 years, architect Philip Johnson’s Brick House in New Canaan is finally open to the public again.
Water infiltration forced the Brick House to close in 2007, according to The National Trust for Historic Restoration. After a $1.8 million restoration of the property, the Brick House reopened to the public on May 2.
The building is the partner to Johnson’s Glass House, a historic house and museum celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
The Brick House was an area for Johnson’s guests to spend the night, then later became a private retreat for Johnson and his partner, David Whitney, according to The National Trust for Historic Restoration.
The building has an underground mechanical room that contains plumbing and electric for both the Glass House and the Brick House, connected through an underground tunnel.
To restore the building’s exterior, a team of architects and engineers excavated around the building, installed new footing drains and put a drainage barrier uphill to make sure water does not enter the building, according to The National Trust for Historic Restoration.
Waterproofing was added to the foundation wall and the underground mechanical room in the Brick House.
The roof of the building also needed repairs after several leaks over the years, creating interior plaster damage and mold growth. The building now has a reinforced fluidapplied roofing system, designed to allow the roof to expand and contract during temperature changes, according to The National Trust for Historic Restoration.
The new roof ensures that heavy rain and snow will not damage the Brick House and its interior.
For the interior of the building, a new boiler and new air conditioning system were installed. New plaster board was installed throughout the Brick House, and concrete slabs were removed
in the library and bedroom to replace the flooring, according to The National Trust for Historic Restoration.
The company that originally provided carpeting for Johnson’s Brick House in 1953, Edward Field Carpet Makers, donated champagne carpeting for the bedroom and purple carpeting for the reading room.
All tours of the Glass House now include tours of the Brick House as well. Tours of both houses are available Monday and Thursday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prices range from $25 per person for a onehour, weekday experience to $250 for a private tour.
Self-guided tours are available for $50. Guests must have a ticket for a tour to visit the property, according to the Glass House website.