Architecture of Frank L. Wright
‘Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice' Old proverb
Both parents of Frank L. Wright were strong, ambitious individualists. William Carey Wright, his father, was well-known local person as preacher, music teacher, ‘domestic' lawyer and jack of all trades but his mother, Anna Lloyd Jones, school teacher was a member of prosperous, also well-known Unitarian family which was a part of Celtic clan that immigrated in 1844 to south-western Wisconsin from Wales. Frank was born in 1867 as the older child and only son. His destiny was doomed by his mother in day of his birth, which decided, her son must be great architect. His wishes were embodied by development of young Frank in each and every aspect of his personality as a future architect. New, experimental educational system, created by August Froebel, based on the blocks for building geometrics structures with emphasis of study of the nature applied by his mother, love of music impressed by his father and love of nature inspired by all the members of the family forced him towards fine career.
‘Truth against the world' family's motto
His education included formative live in natural surroundings, high school and University of Wisconsin-Madison from which he graduated in 1886 as a special student and next part-time classes with a professor of civil engineering, Allan D. Conover. First important step in his career was in 1887 when he moved to Chicago, still rebuilding after Great Fire of 1871, which gave great opportunities to young architects. He became an apprentice of Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and after one year he started working for Adler & Sullivan, one of the most respectable architectural companies. Against of ‘battle of styles' Wright's ideas were extraordinary and individual. In 1893 he left Sullivan and established his own office, which lead to opening of his own studio in 1898. Until 1900, Wright had finished nearly 50 projects, mainly private residences, most of them for neighbourhoods. Despite historic influences and Sullivanesce's ornamentation, Wright's houses characterised geometrical shapes with respect for natural materials. In the beginning of 1900's, inspired by prairie, Chicago's suburbs, he created idea of Prairie Houses and developed new philosophy of human dwelling, based on surrounding inspirations, his second great inspiration of Japanese culture and his own open – minded personality.
‘I believe in God, only I spell it Nature' F.L. Wright
In pursuit of simplicity and connection with nature, he finally destroyed, existing for ages conception of ‘box' house. His buildings have roofs supported by free standing screens, with function of outlined space of living and shelter. Other principles of prairie houses included: ‘number of parts to be minimised to produce a unity', ‘house to be raised on a platform above ground level', ‘light screens windows to replace rectangular windows', ‘material minimised in number and with ornamentation expressive of each material', ‘all services (plumbing, heating, etc) to be incorporated as architectural features into the building, ‘furnishing in keeping with building' and first of all ‘human scale'. He used tripartite plans including: imbedded, impacted or truncated cruciform's plans and next pinwheel plans, eliminated or limited walls and roofs corners to replace it by glass panels. His public buildings have massive, protective walls with open spaces inside, but in both cases, his buildings are often organised with courtyards. A top achievement of his philosophy from this period was his own residence ‘Taliesin' (in Welsh mythology he was a poet, magician and super-hero, translated as ‘shining brow'). But it wasn't only building, it was complex contained from house, studio as business component and farm objects. Materials used for it came from the site such as wood, stone, representing nature and continuity of the building. It was a symbol of family, feminine, unity with nature. It was beginning of ‘organic architecture'. Everything after that was only development and consequence of this idea. Wright's achievements were recognised by European publisher Ernst Wasmuth, as a result two volumes of ‘Wasmuth Portfolio' in 1910 and 1911 were published. Both, these publications, next book on his work by J.J.P. Oud published in Germany and latter published in 1932 in America Wright's biography have influenced European modernist movements as Dutch ‘De Stijl', as much as on the pioneers of European Modernism such as Walter Gropius and Mies Van de Rohe, who were directors on Bauhaus School. Reputation of Frank L.W as the greatest American architect and his contribution to ‘International Style' was undeniable, additionally fuelled by unexpected, tragic incidents in his live such as mass murder and fire in ‘Taliesin'.
‘Architecture is the triumph of Human Imagination over materials, methods, and men, to put man into possession of his own Earth' F.L. Wright
Between 1915 and 1925 as first foreign architect building Japanese objects Wright was involved in great project, Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. It was a triumph of two basic principles of ‘organic architecture', consideration of environment and use of modern materials in traditional way. Unique construction of foundation makes this object earthquake resistant and use of reinforced concrete and bricks as new in Japanese architecture, greatly reflected Japanese space and spirit. Return of Frank L.W to America was the time of new ideas, researches of new possibilities, experimentation with new materials like reinforced concrete, glass (e.g. S.C Johnson Administration Building) or metal sheets, inspirations from ancient Civilization. Extraordinary objects of this time were Hollyhock House, inspired by Maya's architecture and buildings built with ‘textiles blocks' of concrete. Midst of 1930's were years of Great Depression, while Wright organised in Taliesin architectural commune named latter Taliesin Fellowship, leading to Frank L. Wright Foundation established by him in 1940, existing today and over 1300 worldwide projects created by Taliesin Architects. First in Wisconsin, next in Taliesin West, Wright together with his third wife Oligvana was living, working and creating next generation of architects fascinated by his ideas. Crowded point of his genius was ‘Fallingwater' as a symbol of human idea, artistic freedom, harmony with environment, simplicity, beauty and romance, quintessence of organic architecture, similar to his last work, shelf-shaped Guggenheim Museum opened few months after his death. Again, materials were taken from the side, shape was a consequence of surrounding, outside and inside were unity, space and light were main characters. But there was another idea, idea of houses for American middle class in moderate price. Cheap, prefabricated concrete blocks was used for building of ‘Usonian' houses. Simple and brilliant it was idea to gives people houses suitable with modern time, energy efficient, natural in philosophy and human in size, towards practicality to ‘green architecture'.
‘Every great architect is — necessarily — a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age' F.L. Wright
Both parents of Frank L. Wright were strong, ambitious individualists. William Carey Wright, his father, was well-known local person as preacher, music teacher, ‘domestic' lawyer and jack of all trades but his mother, Anna Lloyd Jones, school teacher was a member of prosperous, also well-known Unitarian family which was a part of Celtic clan that immigrated in 1844 to south-western Wisconsin from Wales. Frank was born in 1867 as the older child and only son. His destiny was doomed by his mother in day of his birth, which decided, her son must be great architect. His wishes were embodied by development of young Frank in each and every aspect of his personality as a future architect. New, experimental educational system, created by August Froebel, based on the blocks for building geometrics structures with emphasis of study of the nature applied by his mother, love of music impressed by his father and love of nature inspired by all the members of the family forced him towards fine career.
‘Truth against the world' family's motto
His education included formative live in natural surroundings, high school and University of Wisconsin-Madison from which he graduated in 1886 as a special student and next part-time classes with a professor of civil engineering, Allan D. Conover. First important step in his career was in 1887 when he moved to Chicago, still rebuilding after Great Fire of 1871, which gave great opportunities to young architects. He became an apprentice of Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and after one year he started working for Adler & Sullivan, one of the most respectable architectural companies. Against of ‘battle of styles' Wright's ideas were extraordinary and individual. In 1893 he left Sullivan and established his own office, which lead to opening of his own studio in 1898. Until 1900, Wright had finished nearly 50 projects, mainly private residences, most of them for neighbourhoods. Despite historic influences and Sullivanesce's ornamentation, Wright's houses characterised geometrical shapes with respect for natural materials. In the beginning of 1900's, inspired by prairie, Chicago's suburbs, he created idea of Prairie Houses and developed new philosophy of human dwelling, based on surrounding inspirations, his second great inspiration of Japanese culture and his own open – minded personality.
‘I believe in God, only I spell it Nature' F.L. Wright
In pursuit of simplicity and connection with nature, he finally destroyed, existing for ages conception of ‘box' house. His buildings have roofs supported by free standing screens, with function of outlined space of living and shelter. Other principles of prairie houses included: ‘number of parts to be minimised to produce a unity', ‘house to be raised on a platform above ground level', ‘light screens windows to replace rectangular windows', ‘material minimised in number and with ornamentation expressive of each material', ‘all services (plumbing, heating, etc) to be incorporated as architectural features into the building, ‘furnishing in keeping with building' and first of all ‘human scale'. He used tripartite plans including: imbedded, impacted or truncated cruciform's plans and next pinwheel plans, eliminated or limited walls and roofs corners to replace it by glass panels. His public buildings have massive, protective walls with open spaces inside, but in both cases, his buildings are often organised with courtyards. A top achievement of his philosophy from this period was his own residence ‘Taliesin' (in Welsh mythology he was a poet, magician and super-hero, translated as ‘shining brow'). But it wasn't only building, it was complex contained from house, studio as business component and farm objects. Materials used for it came from the site such as wood, stone, representing nature and continuity of the building. It was a symbol of family, feminine, unity with nature. It was beginning of ‘organic architecture'. Everything after that was only development and consequence of this idea. Wright's achievements were recognised by European publisher Ernst Wasmuth, as a result two volumes of ‘Wasmuth Portfolio' in 1910 and 1911 were published. Both, these publications, next book on his work by J.J.P. Oud published in Germany and latter published in 1932 in America Wright's biography have influenced European modernist movements as Dutch ‘De Stijl', as much as on the pioneers of European Modernism such as Walter Gropius and Mies Van de Rohe, who were directors on Bauhaus School. Reputation of Frank L.W as the greatest American architect and his contribution to ‘International Style' was undeniable, additionally fuelled by unexpected, tragic incidents in his live such as mass murder and fire in ‘Taliesin'.
‘Architecture is the triumph of Human Imagination over materials, methods, and men, to put man into possession of his own Earth' F.L. Wright
Between 1915 and 1925 as first foreign architect building Japanese objects Wright was involved in great project, Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. It was a triumph of two basic principles of ‘organic architecture', consideration of environment and use of modern materials in traditional way. Unique construction of foundation makes this object earthquake resistant and use of reinforced concrete and bricks as new in Japanese architecture, greatly reflected Japanese space and spirit. Return of Frank L.W to America was the time of new ideas, researches of new possibilities, experimentation with new materials like reinforced concrete, glass (e.g. S.C Johnson Administration Building) or metal sheets, inspirations from ancient Civilization. Extraordinary objects of this time were Hollyhock House, inspired by Maya's architecture and buildings built with ‘textiles blocks' of concrete. Midst of 1930's were years of Great Depression, while Wright organised in Taliesin architectural commune named latter Taliesin Fellowship, leading to Frank L. Wright Foundation established by him in 1940, existing today and over 1300 worldwide projects created by Taliesin Architects. First in Wisconsin, next in Taliesin West, Wright together with his third wife Oligvana was living, working and creating next generation of architects fascinated by his ideas. Crowded point of his genius was ‘Fallingwater' as a symbol of human idea, artistic freedom, harmony with environment, simplicity, beauty and romance, quintessence of organic architecture, similar to his last work, shelf-shaped Guggenheim Museum opened few months after his death. Again, materials were taken from the side, shape was a consequence of surrounding, outside and inside were unity, space and light were main characters. But there was another idea, idea of houses for American middle class in moderate price. Cheap, prefabricated concrete blocks was used for building of ‘Usonian' houses. Simple and brilliant it was idea to gives people houses suitable with modern time, energy efficient, natural in philosophy and human in size, towards practicality to ‘green architecture'.
‘Every great architect is — necessarily — a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age' F.L. Wright
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