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Landis Gores
Landis Gores (August 31, 1919 – March 18, 1991) was an American architect. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was known for his modernist Gores Pavilion, the Gores Family House, and the House for All Seasons.
Gores grew up in the Midwest and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton in 1939, before continuing his education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, which he selected for its architectural department. While at Harvard, Landis became close with fellow student Philip Johnson and professor Marcel Breuer, who would all later become members of the Harvard Five modern architectural group (which also included John Johansen and Eliot Noyes).[citation needed]
After graduating in 1942, he served in World War II and trained at Camp Ritchie, making him one of the Ritchie Boys. Gores took part in a top-secret operation known as Ultra, which broke the code of the German high command. By the time he completed active duty he had been awarded both the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire. He continued on in the United States Army Reserve at the rank of Major.[citation needed]
Returning from the war, from 1945 to 1951, he worked with Philip Johnson. Johnson would design, and Gores would draft the ideas to a polished resolved result. Gores helped Johnson on Early Miesian inspired houses which included the Booth House, the Rockefeller townhouse, the MOMA garden, and the famous Glass House. Upon complaints that Johnson had not yet passed his New York architectural exam and therefore could not practice in New York state, the two left their office in New York City and relocated their practice to New Canaan, Connecticut. In 1951 Johnson and Gores parted professionally, and on November 1 Gores opened his own architectural practice, a date that corresponded with the birth of his fourth child.
In 1954, only three years later, Gores was stricken with polio. It was just a year before the US government approved the distribution of the polio vaccine. Gores was initially confined to an iron lung and for the rest of his life and doctors informed him that his physical activities would be severely restricted. Nevertheless, he slowly began to resume his work with the help of a close friend John Irwin (for whom he later built the famous Gores Pavilion) who fashioned Gores a special electric typewriter so that he would be able to continue his architectural career.
However, Landis's work was limited, according to his wife Pamela, "people didn't want someone in a wheelchair. It made them nervous." To help her husband continue with his love for architecture, Pamela became involved in his work and even once acted as contractor for one of his projects.
Mr. Gores' work is characterized by several traits. An oversized Prairie fireplace is a common denominator in almost all of his residential buildings. For example, the Gores Pavilion, the Close House and Gores own house all contain styled large fireplaces. Also, like many other modern architects of the time period, Landis included large amounts of natural light by incorporating grand glass windows into his building designs.
Gores was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius's embracement of the International Movement. He visited Gropius's buildings as a student so as to fully appreciate the works of art that Gropius constructed.
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Landis Gores
Landis Gores (August 31, 1919 – March 18, 1991) was an American architect. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he was known for his modernist Gores Pavilion, the Gores Family House, and the House for All Seasons.
Gores grew up in the Midwest and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton in 1939, before continuing his education at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, which he selected for its architectural department. While at Harvard, Landis became close with fellow student Philip Johnson and professor Marcel Breuer, who would all later become members of the Harvard Five modern architectural group (which also included John Johansen and Eliot Noyes).[citation needed]
After graduating in 1942, he served in World War II and trained at Camp Ritchie, making him one of the Ritchie Boys. Gores took part in a top-secret operation known as Ultra, which broke the code of the German high command. By the time he completed active duty he had been awarded both the Legion of Merit and the Order of the British Empire. He continued on in the United States Army Reserve at the rank of Major.[citation needed]
Returning from the war, from 1945 to 1951, he worked with Philip Johnson. Johnson would design, and Gores would draft the ideas to a polished resolved result. Gores helped Johnson on Early Miesian inspired houses which included the Booth House, the Rockefeller townhouse, the MOMA garden, and the famous Glass House. Upon complaints that Johnson had not yet passed his New York architectural exam and therefore could not practice in New York state, the two left their office in New York City and relocated their practice to New Canaan, Connecticut. In 1951 Johnson and Gores parted professionally, and on November 1 Gores opened his own architectural practice, a date that corresponded with the birth of his fourth child.
In 1954, only three years later, Gores was stricken with polio. It was just a year before the US government approved the distribution of the polio vaccine. Gores was initially confined to an iron lung and for the rest of his life and doctors informed him that his physical activities would be severely restricted. Nevertheless, he slowly began to resume his work with the help of a close friend John Irwin (for whom he later built the famous Gores Pavilion) who fashioned Gores a special electric typewriter so that he would be able to continue his architectural career.
However, Landis's work was limited, according to his wife Pamela, "people didn't want someone in a wheelchair. It made them nervous." To help her husband continue with his love for architecture, Pamela became involved in his work and even once acted as contractor for one of his projects.
Mr. Gores' work is characterized by several traits. An oversized Prairie fireplace is a common denominator in almost all of his residential buildings. For example, the Gores Pavilion, the Close House and Gores own house all contain styled large fireplaces. Also, like many other modern architects of the time period, Landis included large amounts of natural light by incorporating grand glass windows into his building designs.
Gores was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius's embracement of the International Movement. He visited Gropius's buildings as a student so as to fully appreciate the works of art that Gropius constructed.
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