Personally , I think his work is astounding and wonderfull.

If he was so gosh darn magnificent,
Why aren't people knocking his work off left and right ?

Surely , there has to be many dozens of his technical ideas and meathods that could be anylized and re used .

Is every aspect of his genius copy righted ?

I’d guess it’s because his techniques would be too expensive by today’s standards. Chalk it up to “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.”

My sister is a big fan of Wright's stuff. She visited us a few years back and wanted to go see Fallingwater, so we took a trip out there.

My honest impression - didn't care for it, really didn't appeal to me at all.

It was a nice drive in the country to get to it though.

He tried to get the governor to move high tension electrical lines in Scottsdale ... spoiled the view. No luck, but most everything else he tried to do, he did.

Frank Lloyd Wright - Waterlilies Art Glass tapestry throw - Manual Woodworkers & Weavers, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Touches of his influence are all over the architectural and design world, particularly in the modern and otherwise contemporary design arenas.

Unfortunately, IMO, those more modern lines such as his designs and those of others aren't nearly popular here and elsewhere as other more traditional styles.

But most every town has a house or ten that's overtly modern, and in a great many of those cases they've got clear lineage to Wright, but that's about it. I drive around looking for them sometimes, or at least always take notice. Some big cities have whole neighborhoods, etc. It's better internationally, much broader design tastes than here, generally.

It's the only thing I like, really, architectural design wise. As a measure of how relatively rare it is, even I, who have loads of nerdy designer friends and artist friends and various others, it's still a minority set of tastes (20% vs 80%, etc). Price drives this division, too, as loads of glass and other elements add up $$$$.

A couple of other members here have a mix of more overtly modern design tastes and one or two who lean heavily toward mid-century modern. It's been a while so I might be mistaken, but Dlc and Pipe Smoker, maybe.

One built a house some years back and posted photos, the other has shown their mid-century room and furniture a time or two, etc. Don't hold me to that... it might be different members.

I don't lost pics, myself, but have very similar tastes.

I am not a fan of contemporary architecture(at least for homes), except for the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. His work is amazing and proven to be timeless.

I agree his building methods are pricey, but his designs can also prove to be fraught with flaws. The beautiful and famous Johnson Wax Headquarters in Racine, WI were plagued with leaks from the beginning and the issues lasted for decades. Modern technology may have finally addressed the issue, I don't know, but there is a price associated with doing things differently versus tried and true methods.

PS- I agree with 46and2 above regarding Wright's influence throughout the modern design world.

Also, as a useless bit of trivia, I believe the main character, Howard Roark, in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" is modeled after Wright.



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Before moving to Nevada we lived west of Dubuque, Iowa not far from Spring Green, WI. We toured Taliesin and bought a few items in the gift shop.
I really liked his prairie style homes, the use of wood made the homes feel warm.
As a side note I really like Grant Wood's word. Both solid midwestern people.

quote:

Originally posted by RFSALES:
Before moving to Nevada we lived west of Dubuque...

I believe the key to Wright's work was that he really wasn't shooting for "contemporary" in his designs. His goal was to create structures that, in his view, looked like they were part of the natural landscape. The angles and lines he chose were part of that philosophy, as well as his abundant use of natural materials.


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We studied Frank Lloyd Wright in my college architect class. He was truly a genius.

I did read that the design of Falling Water house had some issues, structural integrity was sacrificed for style. And I understand that while a recognized genius, he was not a nice person.

I have been in a few Frank Lloyd Wright structures; his Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Marin County CA, and his Carmel house in CA. I like them, but I have always loved Greene & Greene home designs. The house that Doc Brown lived in in Back To The Future is a Greene & Greene; The Gamble House. Here is a smaller house-



My homes I had in CA were both mid-century 1950s ranch houses, and the styling of the interiors leaned towards classic mid-century. We did not have any traditional furniture or doo-dads in the houses. Even in our present house, we have more contemporary stylings, with a little craftsman thrown in the mix. Everyone else here that we know tend to have more traditional stuff.

Friend of my mom's had Frank Lloyd Wright design his house in 1949: Frank Lloyd Wright - Anthony home






Unfortunately Mr. Anthony (founder of the Heath Company (Heathkits, etc.), among other things) died, and the house got sold, before I was born, so I never got inside.

The story goes that part of the design deal, at least the deal he did with the Anthonys, was that, for years after the property was built, FLW would send stuff to them that he saw in his travels, tell them where in the house or grounds the items should be put, along with a bill.

I used to have S. C. Johnson as a client (makers of RAID, Off!, Zip Loc, Glade, etc. etc.) and would visit their Frank Lloyd Wright-designed headquarters in Racine, WI.

FABULOUS buildings with fantastic ideas for how workspaces, furniture and lighting should work together. Even the parking lot had a "feel" to it.

At the Univ. of Chicago, we used the Wright-built Robie House as a meeting space... until we learned that all the chairs were bolted to the floor so as to "preserve the look and design Wright intended." Imagine sitting for two hours in straight-backed chairs that were permanently 18 inches away from the table... we found other places to hold meetings on campus.

But that "Prairie style" really appeals to me, to this day. Other than Wright's disdain for foyers... love his stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by mttaylor1066:
I used to have S. C. Johnson as a client...

Amazing use of space, efficient but they still felt roomy. Did you get to see the offices on the third level with the built-in fireplaces?



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I enjoyed looking at properties he designed when I lived in Wisconsin. He certainly built in unusual places. I did not realize that he was from Richland Center, Wisconsin. Having worked there, it explains a lot.

Fallingwater in Pennsylvania is an amazing work. It is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The cost of falling water from Wiki

Cost[edit]
The original estimated cost for building Fallingwater was $35,000. The final cost for the home and guest house was $155,000,[22][23][24] which included $75,000 for the house; $22,000 for finishings and furnishings; $50,000 for the guest house, garage and servants' quarters; and an $8,000 architect's fee. From 1938 through 1941, more than $22,000 was spent on additional details and for changes in the hardware and lighting.[25]
The total cost of $155,000, adjusted for inflation, is equivalent to about $2.8 million in 2019. The cost of the house's restoration in 2001 was estimated to be $11.5 million (approximately $16.6 million in 2019).[26]

The Allen House, Wichita, KS. Link to the Gallery in the narrative to see in and out pictures. Beautiful place.

FL Wright Wichita KS

MQT has a Wright house a mile or so from me but I have never been to it.

quote:

Originally posted by TigerDore:

I agree his building methods are pricey, but his designs can also prove to be fraught with flaws.

^^^This is it in a nutshell. Attractive, interesting designs, but poorly built maintenance nightmares. The building materials and methods of the time hadn't caught up with his designs.

Off topic as it's not a home but stop by the Price Tower in Bartlesville, OK, the only realized skyscraper by Wright.