a place to post frank lloyd wright thoughts - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

t walgamuth · #1 11-13-2006, 11:22 PM

we done veered off the subject on another thread so i thought out of respect for plantman we could take our discussion of FLW architecture to another place.

i have visited his homes in a number of places. they are scattered around the country. i believe there are 400 or so buildings that he has done.

there is a louis sullivan bank in west lafayette with the fabulous terra cotta around the windows in the brick building. it is not very big and i would love to buy it some day. i have no idea if it could be bought though. it has been "modernized" with a dropped ceiling and the inside is pretty much devoid of details. i hope that they may exist above the grid.

the biggest concentration of wright buildings is in oak park illinois. there must be at least twelve buildings including his home and studio dating from around 1929 or so and the unity temple, a unitarian church with very striking, unique features. there are a good many homes near his home, all on a walking tour. if you are a fan it is worth a trip.

another place with a good group of buildings is Lakeland college in florida. there are at least six or eight buildings there including an administration building and a large chapel (or auditorium). there is also an extensive system of shaded walkways with concrete roof and collonade. that is worth a trip too if you are in the area. i have been there too. and a niece and nephew attended there, recently graduating.

for me, a visit to NY and the gugenheim and the empire state building and perhaps the statue of liberty. i probably will skip ground zero because i just think it would be too gut wrenching.

tom w

kerry · #2 11-13-2006, 11:31 PM

I enjoyed the Guggenheim. There's a FLW house in McCook NB.

Has anyone visited the roofless church in New Harmony IN? Done by the same architect who did the High Museum in Atlanta (I think) but I can't remember his name. It's one of my favorite churches, almost as powerful as Mont St. Michel and it is right across the street from Paul Tillich's grave.

I know, thread his already hijacked from FLW to architecture in general.

t walgamuth · #3 11-14-2006, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry edwards

I enjoyed the Guggenheim. There's a FLW house in McCook NB.

Has anyone visited the roofless church in New Harmony IN? Done by the same architect who did the High Museum in Atlanta (I think) but I can't remember his name. It's one of my favorite churches, almost as powerful as Mont St. Michel and it is right across the street from Paul Tillich's grave.

I know, thread his already hijacked from FLW to architecture in general.

i dont mind. i will have to try to get down there and check it out.

another of my favorite places is thomas jefferson's monticello and his university of virginia campus cental space. very very special.

tom w

PaulC · #4 11-13-2006, 11:32 PM

Tom, if you're going to head East, best to hit Fallingwater first.

t walgamuth · #5 11-14-2006, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulC

Tom, if you're going to head East, best to hit Fallingwater first.

i have been there. it is very very special. if he had done nothing else that home would have sealed his reputation. the drive there is very nice too. and the driveway back through the woods. when i did it i was pulling my 24' wilderness trailer. i thought.."great i am going to get back there and there will be no place to park my trailer" (based on the narrow gravel driveway)...of course when we got back there there was room to park at least 20 greyhounds!

the two most memorable details which i didnt remember seeing in any books prior to visiting were the rock in the floor in front of the fireplace and the bookended wood veneer on the doors of the continuously built in closet running along the back of the master bedroom area (i think that was where it was).

definately worth a trip. i have a picture of my entire family under the house at the waterfall. i guess it must have been fifteen years ago since my youngest was just a babe then. and she is a frosh in college now (studying architecture at bsu as i did).

tom w

#6 11-13-2006, 11:45 PM

One of the homes here is a small studio like set up, two other are $500,000 which is a tad above the median home for the neighborhood, the other which was originally built by the Dow's (dow chemical) is huge I am not sure how much it would sell for but it has the watch tower office and many other unique amenities. The community that they are in and where I went to school had a population of less than 5000 at the time so everyone knew about the FLW homes. There are a few (I think 10) more FLW homes but for some reason they don't get the nod from the FLW registry or something, I am not sure what the criteria is to get the official OK from the FLW guys.

A repost but would like to know what exactly makes an official FLW home.

t walgamuth · #7 11-13-2006, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MedMech

One of the homes here is a small studio like set up, two other are $500,000 which is a tad above the median home for the neighborhood, the other which was originally built by the Dow's (dow chemical) is huge I am not sure how much it would sell for but it has the watch tower office and many other unique amenities. The community that they are in and where I went to school had a population of less than 5000 at the time so everyone knew about the FLW homes. There are a few (I think 10) more FLW homes but for some reason they don't get the nod from the FLW registry or something, I am not sure what the criteria is to get the official OK from the FLW guys.

A repost but would like to know what exactly makes an official FLW home.

i dont know, but perhaps they were done by his studio after he died. or by an admirer.

folks often arent to picky about such little details. (sarcasm)

tom w

#8 11-13-2006, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

i dont know, but perhaps they were done by his studio after he died. or by an admirer.

folks often arent to picky about such little details. (sarcasm)

tom w

I know the prints are his just like the four "official" flw homes but I think they needed to be built by a FLW apprentice or something to be "official".