SUN | Fairfield County: Modernism in Growing Suburbs (Self Driving)

Encouraged by new highways and supportive mortgage policies, Connecticut suburbs flourished after World War II, offering a fertile field for Modernist architecture. A group of young architects known as the Harvard Five became internationally known for the houses they planted in bucolic New Canaan. This self-driving tour will include one of the iconic examples, the courtyard-centered family home of architect Eliot Noyes. Another home visited will be one of the few houses designed by Richard Neutra in New England.

Postwar population gains in the suburbs called for the construction of many new religious buildings. The Unitarian church in Westport by architect Victor Lundy is one of his audacious settings for religious observance. The First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, aka the Fish Church, gave architect Wallace K. Harrison, best known for vast urban-core complexes, an opportunity to sculpt a highly unconventional freestanding structure. Consultants from the team restoring the Fish Church will be present.

Tour participants must provide their own transportation to the sites, or carpool. The visits will all be guided. Lunch will be provided.