Issue 133 January 23rd 2019

The Headlines

Travel By Design: Darwin D. Martin House Complex

Buffalo Architecture Martin House Event, Travel By Design:

Here is an unforgettable four-day, three-night travel experience exploring the design masterworks of Greater Buffalo, NY — a region renowned for its remarkable architectural heritage on Thursday, June 13 — Sunday, June 16, 2019.

This excursion will begin with an overnight stay at The Roycroft Inn — a National Historic Landmark located in the charming village of East Aurora. From there, you will expand our knowledge of the American Arts and Crafts movement through a hands-on class and tour at the historic Roycroft Campus, followed by a unique visit and luncheon on the grounds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff. The journey will continue with a two-night stay at The Hotel Henry on the Richardson Olmsted Campus, where you will explore the grounds on a private tour. You will discover many of the city’s architectural treasures that include the Eliel and Eero Saarinen’s Kleinhans Music Hall; Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building; an escorted tour of downtown Buffalo, the Larkin District, and Silo City; a private visit to Wright’s Walter V. Davidson House; and an exceptional evening at the Martin House where you will have all-exclusive access to the buildings and gardens of Wright’s Prairie-period opus.

This trip will sell out! Make your reservation today by calling 716-856-3858. More information here.

Schwartz House Open To The Public

Manitowoc Herald Times reporter Patti Zarling spent two nights in the Two Rivers, WI home designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Bernard Schwartz House is an example of Wright's Usonian style, a lower-cost design type that grew out of his revolutionary “prairie style” during the Great Depression. It was completed when Wright was in his early 70s. Also known as "Still Bend" — the house is a living home, not a museum.

The house was completed in 1940 and is one of only 11 Frank Lloyd Wright homes available for overnight stays within the U.S. The Schwartz home is considered a “living FLLW home,” meaning visitors can use its furnishings. Michael Ditmer, one of Still Bend’s owners, is proud guests can spend time soaking in the aura and feeling of the home, rather than being led through a tour line that "ends in the gift shop". Read Zarling's account of her stay here.

Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement

The year ahead promises to be an exciting one for museum lovers. Brand-new institutions debut their collections and exhibitions as cherished museums reimagine themselves in grand new buildings. Among the list provided by Smithsonian magazine is the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, opening Fall of 2019 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

A reaction to the Industrial Revolution, the Arts and Crafts Movement represents a period when artisans hearkened back to the pre-mechanized world to “create environments in which beautiful and fine workmanship governed.” The only museum to explicitly focus on the late 19th and early 20th century movement will provide 40,000 square feet of gallery space to house businessman Rudy Ciccarello’s private collection of furniture, pottery, tile, metalwork, and lighting. The building itself will be evocative of the movement, which focused on bringing artistry and craftsmanship into everyday design. Along with windows inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, the museum will be constructed with natural materials like American white oak and natural stone. Those looking to dip their toes in the art form will have ample opportunity: a graphic arts studio and darkroom will be used for teaching purposes, as well as an area dedicated to children’s education. See the complete list here.

Wright Tour Guide To Wright Homeowner

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy informs us that the Bertha and Sol Friedman House, the first Wright designed for his planned Usonia community in Pleasantville, New York, has found a new set of stewards. The new owners of the 1948 house, Jane and Brian Renz, are FLWBC members and longtime fans of Wright’s work.

Brian Renz notes that he grew up and attended graduate school in Chicago, so he always had an interest in Wright. “I’ve lived in Lakeland, Florida, for about 40 years, and I’ve been a tour guide at Florida Southern College since I retired,” he says, referring to the campus that is home to the largest single-site collection of Wright-designed architecture in the world.

Nestled into its wooded lot, the 2,164-square-foot house consists of two intersecting circles with concrete slab roofs. Inside, Wright pulled materials from the outdoors, using concrete, stone and oak to finish the interiors of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home. Its walls of windows bring in the outdoors.

The sellers of the home, Jon and Wendy Smith, said they considered themselves caretakers of Wright’s design and noted that with all of the original built-in furniture in place, they had little to move in other than toothbrushes when they purchased the home. Jane says she and Brian agree and plan to keep up the tradition of honoring the home’s history. They purchased a few Wright-designed chairs along with the house from the Smiths, and love that the home has remained intact for so long, right down to the color scheme. Read more.

Price Tower Names New Executive Director

Price Tower Arts Center has a new executive director: Rick Loyd. Loyd succeeds Scott Ambler who served as executive director for three years and has recently returned to Ambler Architects full-time. Loyd joins Price Tower with 32 years of retail banking experience and graduated from Oklahoma State University. Read more here.

Chicago Area Wright Sites Up For UNESCO World Heritage List

Eight Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings are nominated for UNESCO's World Heritage List which recognizes some of the most significant cultural and natural sites on the planet.

Two of those buildings are in the Chicago area: the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago and Unity Temple in Oak Park. Bonnie McDonald of Landmarks Illinois joined the Morning Shift to talk about the history and significance of the buildings. Read the interview here.

Out of the Archives: The Rare and Unusual Designs of Alden B. Dow

During the months of February, March, and the first half of April, visitors to the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio will have the opportunity to view special thematic displays of seldom-seen drawings and designs from the Archives.

Drawings, photographs, and related textual materials will be on display in the Second Drafting Room from 1:00-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.

February 2-28: The Unbuilt Structures of Alden B. Dow

Throughout his long career, Alden B. Dow designed more than 200 projects that were never built. Most were proposed homes of all types and sizes, some of which truly pushed the boundaries of residential architecture at the time. Also among the unrealized projects are a nursery school, church, theater, shopping center, and even a boat house. Ranging from the extravagant and fanciful to the practical and affordable, the drawings and sketches on display are works of art in and of themselves.

March 2-29: The gardens never end and buildings never begin: Landscape Designs

When designing a home or building, Alden B. Dow always considered the site an important part of the project. Instead of solid walls, living spaces were often graced with floor to ceiling windows, breaking the barrier between structure and nature. With the enormous appreciation for nature instilled by his father and mother, his drawings for homes, churches, and other structures sometimes included detailed landscape plans showing the exact locations of specific types of trees, shrubs and flowers.

April 1-12: The Unit Block and Beyond: Patents & Inventions

Beginning with the design of the Unit Block, Alden B. Dow prepared drawings and applications for patents on 10 other inventions during his lifetime. Out of his creative mind came ideas for Sandwich Construction Panels, Plastic Windows, and Structural Facing Units. In addition to these building products, he also dreamed up and actually received patents for a fur-like insulation material for the outside of a building, as well as a self-choreographing musical or luminescent appliance that he called the "Moodical."

Get more info on this and other exciting events at the Alden Dow Home & Studio here.

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