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Architectural historian Michelangelo Sabatino will discuss his new book, The Edith Farnsworth House: Architecture, Preservation, Culture, exploring the iconic modern house’s three distinct “lives.” Designed by Mies van der Rohe for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, the house has evolved through different phases of ownership and preservation, from its creation as a pioneering work of modern architecture to its later years under the Palumbo family and its current stewardship by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Landmarks Illinois, which opened the house to the public 20 years ago. Sabatino will be joined by a panel of experts—including Omar Eaton-Martinez from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Elizabeth Milnarik from the Society of Architectural Historians, Ron Henderson, FASLA, from Illinois Institute of Technology, Alphawood Arboretum, LIRIO Landscape Architecture, and preservation architect Ashley Wilson, FAIA —to discuss the house’s architectural significance, preservation challenges, and cultural impact.
Program Schedule
Doors open at 6 pm
Program starts at 6:30 pm
Reception 7:30 to 8:30 pm
This program has applied for 1 LA/CES (ASLA) and 1 CE LU (AIA).
About Michelangelo Sabatino
Michelangelo Sabatino is a publicly engaged educator, historian, curator, and preservationist whose research and writing focuses primarily on the built environment of the twentieth century. In addition to having served as the Interim Dean (2017-19) he currently directs the PhD Program in Architecture and is the Inaugural John Vinci Distinguished Research Fellow. Sabatino trained in art, architectural and design history, and preservation at universities in Canada, Italy, and the United States of America. He earned a professional degree in Architecture at the Università IUAV di Venezia and a PhD in the Department of Fine Art, University of Toronto. He held a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of History of Art + Architecture, Harvard University. Sabatino taught at Yale University and the University of Houston before his appointment to IIT’s College of Architecture. Sabatino’s research has been supported by a range of funding agencies and institutions such as SSHRC, Canadian Centre for Architecture and the Graham Foundation. Sabatino’s first book, Pride in Modesty: Modernist Architecture and the Vernacular Tradition in Italy (2011), won multiple awards, including the Society of Architectural Historians’ Alice Davis Hitchcock Award. He recently completed two books related to IIT: The Edith Farnsworth House: Architecture, Preservation, Culture (2024) and Mies in His Own Words: Complete Writings, Speeches, Interviews (2024).
