Frank Lloyd Wright

1. Frank Lloyd Wright 1867 - 1959 lifespan anchors him in Arts and Crafts

2. furniture • rationalized • no applied ornamentation • rooted to floor • no organicism • could be argued Arts and Crafts as well as Art Nouveau Wright Mackintosh

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

4. background

5. architecture Wright House, Oak Park, IL, 1889-1895 • shingle style—with brick and stone • little classical detailing—palladian window

6. architecture heavy eaves–creates heavy shadow clay tile brick (used as veneer) Winslow House, River Forest, IL, 1893 starts to create elements of “prairie style”— inspired by long sweeping horizontal line of the prairie

7. architectural detail clay tile • used clay tiles—somewhat like Louis Sullivan • long slender “Roman brick” Roman brick

8. architecture Robie House, FLW, Chicago, IL, 1909 • further development of prairie style • clear interest in the horizontal line

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

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

11. architectural detail Roman brick—flush vertical joint to accentuate horizontal nature

12. architecture Where is front door? have to search for the door—forces you to explore the building more closely

13. architecture front door?

14. architecture front door?

15. architecture front door?

16. architecture front door

17. 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

18. interiors

19. 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

20. interiors furniture emphasizes horizontality—all one level

21. interiors windows negate corners—breaks out of box

22. interiors door goes out to space under extended eaves

23. interiors bay window points out at an angle—extending space

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

25. interiors all lighting built-in • fireplace used to divide space—hearth, center role • chimney—only piece on exterior with verticality

26. interiors carves out niche to emphasize idea of one room

27. 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

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

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

30. architecture large atrium that goes all the way to the top floor

31. 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)

32. 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

33. interiors

34. interiors

35. interiors middle management—more of a sense of enclosure

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

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

38. architecture just outside of Pittsburgh falling water

39. architectural detail • communes with nature—manmade beams and rock work together to form foundation

40. architectural detail • stairway takes you right to water of river • built beams around trees

41. architecture compressed entry

42. architecture

43. architecture

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

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

46. interiors stairway takes you right to water of river

47. interiors

48. interiors Arts and Crafts ideals—more of a folk craft style

49. interiors • bookshelves custom built to fit stairs

50. interiors design detail—space in desktop for window to open