Ben Rose House

The previous home of mid-century textile designers Ben and Frances Rose has been on the market since 2009. The property consists of two structures; the main house designed by A. James Speyer, built in 1953 and the automobile pavilion designed by David Haid, built in 1974. The pavilion was featured in the the 1986 film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where a Ferrari is driven through one of its glass windows into the ravine below.

Ben Rose House built from 1952-54, architect: A. James Speyer. via Sotheby's Realty

Ben Rose Automobile Pavilion built in 1974, architect: David Haid. via Sotheby's Realty

Ferrari crashing through the pavilion. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Paramount Pictures 1986

Bueller and gang checking out the aftermath. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Paramount Pictures 1986

In response to the possible threat of the historic Ben Rose House being demolished, the Landmarks Illinois organization produced this video about the Highland Park, Illinois home.

The above photos of the Rose House via Sotheby's Realty

The Rose property, currently listed for $1,650,00, includes the home and pavilion and features 4 bedrooms and 4 baths totaling 5300 sqft. The steel and glass buildings are cantilevered over a ravine on a 1 acre lot.

Ben Rose in the auto pavilion with his car collection. Image via Landmarks Illinois video.

A. James Speyer via ARTIC.edu

American architect A. James Speyer (1913-1986) was born in Pittsburgh. He graduated with a degree in Architecture from Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1934. He continued his studies under Mies van der Rohe at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he received his masters degree in 1939. After serving in WWII he returned to IIT where he taught architecture under Mies. He established his own firm in 1946, completing homes in the Chicago and Pittsburgh areas. Speyer's minimalist architectural style was heavily influenced by van der Rohe and featured rectangular structures constructed with exposed steel beams, brick and glass. The Ben Rose house designed by Speyer in 1952, is considered one of his finest architectural works.  For more information on A. James Speyer click here.

The automobile pavilion, made famous by the film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, was designed by architect David Haid (1929-1993) in 1974. Haid was born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1929. He moved to Chicago in 1951 to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology under Mies van der Rohe and James Speyer. That same year, Haid began working in van der Rohe's design office and remained there till 1960. In 1963 he founded David Haid & Associates. The minimalist influence of both van der Rohe and Speyer can be seen in Haid's work throughout the Chicago and Houston, TX areas. Haid passed away in 1993 at the age of 64.

To learn more about Ben Rose and see some of his textile designs see my post about him here.