Vanna Venturi House Listed for $1.75 Million

Robert Venturi designed the Philadelphia postmodern house for his mother.

1 MIN READ

Steven Goldblatt

Robert Venturi, FAIA’s famous Vanna Venturi House in Philadelphia has hit the market. The architect designed the 1,986-square-foot house, built in the 1960s, for his mother, and it has become a hallmark of postmodern architecture. Writing many decades later about Venturi’s retirement, ARCHITECT’s editor-in-chief Ned Cramer described the house as a “miscegenistic wedding of Orthodox ribbon window and heretic pitched roof.” It also appeared in the PBS documentary, “Ten Buildings That Changed America,” as well as on a U.S. postage stamp. The house listing itself acknowledges its architectural significance: “To the amateur eye it can be puzzling, but with some education about its juxtaposition of traditional design against more complex forms, its status as a groundbreaking residential design becomes clear.” The three-bedroom, two-bath house is located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, and is listed for $1.75 million.

Steve Davis

Steve Davis

Steve Davis

Steve Davis

Steve Davis

Steven Goldblatt

Steve Davis

Steve Davis

For more information and images about the Vanna Venturi House, visit ARCHITECT’s Project Gallery.

About the Author

Sara Johnson

Sara Johnson is the former associate editor, design news at ARCHITECT. Previously, she was a fellow at CityLab. Her work has also appeared in San Francisco, San Francisco Brides, California Brides, DCist, Patchwork Nation, and The Christian Science Monitor.

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