Issue 107 July 25th 2018

The Headlines

Frank Lloyd Wright's Redesigned Fabyan Villa Tour

Join the Association for Preservation Technology Western Great Lakes Chapter for a Frank Lloyd Wright's redesigned Fabyan Villa tour and learn about Wright's unique role in the design of the house!

The Fabyan Villa was the home of Colonel George and Nelle Fabyan from 1905-1939. Initially a country retreat from their home in Chicago, the Fabyans hired Frank Lloyd Wright in 1907 to enlarge and re-model the existing farmhouse. They took up permanent residence there shortly thereafter and called the house "The Villa." They acquired 300 acres, creating a country estate which soon became a lavish showplace complete with fountains, gardens, a Roman-style swimming pool, a Dutch-style windmill, a private zoo, a working lighthouse, a boathouse, tennis courts, and more. The Fabyans pursued their varied interests on their estate, including horticulture, animal husbandry, code-breaking and scientific research.

The tour is Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 10:00 AM, located at 1925 S. Batavia Ave. Geneva, IL 60134. Registration is free for APT WGLC Members and Non-Members $10.00. More here.

New Website For Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin

Taliesin Preservation is proud to launch their new website, taliesinpreservation.org. It has been redesigned with streamlining tour options, simplifying navigation, building a responsive layout for all platforms, and providing more resources and information about their events and programs.

Everyone is encouraged to visit and explore the site and discover the full spectrum of information, such as the latest blog postings, calendar of events, and their new interactive map, with resources for guests and travelers alike to deliver the most up-to-date information about preservation, dining, tours, and other happenings at Taliesin Preservation. To stay connected, follow them on social media. If you have any questions or feedback you would like to share, please contact Aron Meudt-Thering, Communications Developer, at athering@taliesinpreservation.org. More here.

Pasadena Sues Owners Of Landmark Building, Demands It Be Demolished Or Fixed

The city of Pasadena is suing the owners of the former First Pasadena State Bank building, a 12-story landmark at Southmore Avenue and Pasadena Boulevard, claiming that code violations spanning more than a decade have left the structure unsafe.

Many people have noted that the building’s style is reminiscent of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, the architectural icon who died in 1959 at the age of 92. Two of the bank building’s architects, Houston-based Frederick James MacKie and Karl Kamrath, were influenced by Wright after Kamrath met Wright in Chicago in 1946, according to the Handbook of Texas Online. Read more about the debate here.

America's Top Rated Tourist Experience Is Now Better Than Ever

We agree with Larry Olmsted of Forbes that there are a lot of great reasons to visit Chicago, including stellar food, art and cultural attractions, historic Wrigley Field, and of course, Lake Michigan. But among visitors, the city’s biggest distinction, the one that it is best known for, is architecture, as the Windy City is the birthplace of the skyscraper.

The Chicago Architecture Foundation currently offers nine walking tours addressing different themes, from Art Deco to Skyscrapers to Frank Lloyd Wright, two tours using the city’s L, or elevated train, and three by bus in addition to the famous cruises. Read more.

Where To Take The Best Photos In Chicago

Curbed Chicago gives us a list of amazing places to photograph in Chicago—architecture, beautiful parks and public art that provide an endless supply of inspiration. Among the list is the Rookery building. We know it's hard to resist snapping a photo of the glass atrium and spiraling staircases in one of Chicago’s longest-standing high rises. The original design was by Burnham & Root, and the lobby was later redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright. The FLW Trust offers tours of the building so you can get up close to the wrought iron and take a peak at the private library. Read the list here.

The God Almighty Lloyd Joneses

The Whirling Arrow has an article that originally appeared in, “Plan,” the Spring 2017 issue of the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly. "The God Almighty Lloyd Joneses" written by Georgia Lloyd Jones Snoke, the great-granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright’s uncle, the Reverend Jenkin Lloyd Jones. As her family continues to look to their roots with pride, Snoke shares the Lloyd Jones perspective on the young, gifted boy from rural Wisconsin who became America’s greatest architect. Read it here.

An Architectural Adventure Awaits At Polymath Park

About a half-hour drive away from Fallingwater is Polymath Park, in Acme, Westmoreland County. There you will find three homes designed and influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. Polymath Park's co-owner, Heater Papinchak, showed Pittsburgh's Action News 4 around the homes. See it here.

Frank Lloyd Wright House, Weddings In Dispute

Neighbors of the Frank Lloyd Wright estate in Orinda, California are fed up with crowds from weddings blocking their streets, driveways and parking on their lawns.The weddings, with a couple of exceptions, have violated Orinda’s zoning ordinance, which bans commercial ventures in residential neighborhoods, according to Orinda Planning Director Drummond Buckley.

In 1948, famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the house for inventor Maynard Buehler and his wife, Katherine Buehler of Orinda. Described as a “sumptuous Mid-Century Modern” with “22k gold ceilings and a solid copper roof,” there are six buildings on four acres and a Japanese garden. In 2006, the estate was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. After the Buehlers died, the estate was put up for sale, and in 2013 Gerald Shmavonian bought it for $3.3 million. Read more.

Famous Home Redesigned By Frank Lloyd Wright In Oak Park

A 19th-century home that was redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright and features beautiful art glass designs and other trademark accents that made the famous architect so successful is for sale in Oak Park, IL. From the magnificent geometric art glass entry, Wrights influence is felt immediately with the strong horizontal banding throughout the 1st floor & the rooms flow seamlessly from one to the other. The dining room features a Wright builtin with geometric art glass. Originally built in 1873, the 6 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home is listed for $1,650,000. See it here.

Register Now for Summer Tour of Walker House

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is offering the rare opportunity to tour the Mrs. Clinton Walker House, an extraordinary oceanfront house in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, on Aug. 23-24. The 1200 square-foot home is a single-story structure, built on granite boulders with a triangular foundation made of Carmel Stone. Other features include a broad, low copper roof covered with baked-enamel shingles of blue-green color – obviously to match the color of sea and sky – that is supported by a massive floor-to-ceiling fireplace, a hexagon floor plan (like the Hanna House on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto), Wright’s trademark seemingly-unbroken horizontal lines of the casement windows that face the ocean and the “Cherokee-red” painted ribbons of steel that frame them. Almost all of the rooms have a view of the ocean, including the master bedroom that was added in 1956.

A sunset reception on Thursday, Aug. 23, limited to 25 people, will include drinks and hors d’oeuvres. On Friday, Aug. 24, a series of one-hour tours limited to 25 people will give attendees the chance to experience one of Wright’s most magnificently sited works. All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. More here.

The Most Expensive Home For Sale Around D.C. Has A Frank Lloyd Wright Guest House Shaped Like A Fish

Forbes informs us that the Frank Lloyd Wright designed guesthouse, Marden House, outside of Washington D.C. (which also comes with a main house) is on the market and the total asking price is $62.95 million.

Listed with TTR/Sotheby's International Realty, the home(s) belonged to the late Jim Kimsey, cofounder of America Online, and overlooks the Potomac River from a cliff-like perch (fittingly, the main house is called The Falls). Perhaps that was the inspiration for Wright to build the home in the subtle shape of a fish. With so many "Wrightsian touches" the Marden House is truly impressive. The main house is also stunning. The 48,000-square-foot home has custom-made furniture, expansive river views, an infinity pool, a 30-car motor court, and enough bedrooms to host several families. Take a spin through the gallery for a peek inside here.

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