• Photo: Scott Frances.
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink

• Photo: Scott Frances.
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink
• Photo: Els Zweerink

By Chuck Smith

For over 50 years, my family and I have enjoyed living in a work of art on the rocky shore of Long Island Sound in Darien, Connecticut. The house was the first stand-alone project that Richard Meier built. Today, Meier is one of the world’s best-known architects, but in 1968, when the Smith House was completed, he was only 31 and just one of the famed “New York Five” architects alongside Charles Gwathmey, Peter Eisenman and others. Our house was an instant success with critics and the press and put Meier on a path to international acclaim, but lately I’ve been wondering whether it will be able to withstand the tides of time. My brother and I still own the house, but neither of us can afford to live there, so last January, after renting it out for 10 years, we reluctantly put the house up for sale. We’re hoping to find a mid-century modern angel who will cherish Meier’s masterpiece and be stunned, as we always are, by the amazing water views and the wonder of living in a glass-enclosed work of art. But, the right buyer has yet to materialize and we are now concerned that our house is less valued for its iconic stature then for its waterfront views. In the last year, our neighbors house, a beautiful modern designed by Rem Hyugens and completed in 1973 was purchased and torn-down. It broke my heart to see it go, but that seems to be the reality of real estate these days.

The Iconic Houses Network has always been a strong supporter of our desire to preserve the house, so I’m hoping that someone reading this right now might know of a family, an individual, a museum, or an organization that would want to buy our house and take care of it for another 50 years. The house isn’t cheap, but the right buyer will know that a work of art is priceless. If you have any leads or ideas, please contact me directly at producerchuck@gmail.com.