Frank Lloyd Wright1867 -

1959

lifespan anchors him in Arts and Crafts

Wright Mackintosh

•rationalized•no applied ornamentation•rooted to floor•no organicism•could be argued Arts and Crafts as well as Art Nouveau

furniture

background

•did not like to admit that anyone else inspired him•froebel blocks—played with as a child

background

Wright House, Oak Park, IL, 1889-1895

architecture

•shingle style—with brick and stone•little classical detailing—palladian window

Winslow House, River Forest, IL, 1893

architecture

starts to create elements of “prairie style”— inspired by long sweeping horizontal line of the

prairie

heavy eaves–creates heavy shadowclay tile

brick (used as veneer)

architectural detail clay tile

Roman brick

•used clay tiles—somewhat like Louis Sullivan•long slender “Roman brick”

Robie House, FLW, Chicago, IL, 1909

architecture

•further development of prairie style•clear interest in the horizontal line

architecture

•very modern looking—everything else was craftsman or beaux arts•very innovative

architecture

•Louis Sullivan—saw grid & construction•Frank Lloyd Wright—hides structure

architectural detail

Roman brick—flush vertical joint to accentuate horizontal nature

architecture

Where is front door?

have to search for the door—forces you to explore the building

more closely

architecture

front door?

architecture

front door?

architecture

front door?

architecture

front door

architecture

open plan—staircase & fireplace separate spaces visually

really wants to “break out of the box”—designs rectangular box & takes every opportunity to break

through

interiors

interiors

•uses COMPRESSION—small entry, tight stair and then RELEASE—large, spacious living room

•17th century colonial homes were inspiration—horizontal beams, hearth was heart of American culture

interiors

furniture emphasizes horizontality—all one level

interiors

windows negate corners—breaks out of box

interiors

door goes out to space under extended eaves

interiors

bay window points out at an angle—extending space

interior detail

•pure geometry—abstracted foliage•in order to see real nature, see his abstracted design in front of it

interiors

•fireplace used to divide space—hearth, center role•chimney—only piece on exterior with verticality

all lighting built-in

interiors

carves out niche to emphasize idea of one room

interiors

•recognized furniture was not comfortable•very Art Nouveau in the sense that light is built-in to table•table glows, rest of room is in shadow—chairs also block out view—enhances social interaction

Larkin Building, FLW, Buffalo, NY, 1904 with furniture by Steelcase Corporation

architecture

architecture

•exterior is all brick—bright red/oranges•vertical circulation is expressed at corners

architecture

large atrium that goes all the way to the top floor

architecture/interiors•open office planning—beginning of the cubicle

•built strictly in a hierarchal sense—very open at bottom (women) to more closed and secluded at top (men)

architecture/interiors open plan

pros: •flexible•group and regroup people as you need to •does not create any dead circulation space

cons:•noisy•no privacy•shows your status clearly

interiors

interiors

interiors

middle management—more of a sense of enclosure

furniture

•early versions of office chairs—look machine made•3 legged design tipped over easily—had to redesign

furniture

•follows prairie style—long horizontal planes•tipped if too much stuff was put on side with drawers

architecture

falling water

just outside of Pittsburgh

architectural detail

•communes with nature—manmade beams and rock work together to form foundation

architectural detail

•stairway takes you right to water of river•built beams around trees

architecture

compressed entry

architecture

architecture

interiors

•built-in, low horizontal furniture•reds, oranges, yellows—focus is on the views

interiors

•fireplace uses the sphere and square motif•indentation in rock wall to hold sphere

interiors

stairway takes you right to water of river

interiors

interiors

Arts and Crafts ideals—more of a folk craft style

interiors

•bookshelves custom built to fit stairs

interiors

design detail—space in desktop for window to open