Issue 170 October 9th 2019

The Headlines

The Wright Stuff

Joshua Villersof the Chicago Maroon has written about Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. In this article Villersof examines how the Robie House has managed to escape the fate of many extraordinary works of architecture.

"Architecture, as a medium for art, and as an expression of cultural heritage, is uniquely bound by its functional purpose. Architecture frequently has a duty to be used in a way that many other artistic works are not. In spite of Frank Lloyd Wright’s lofty position within the canon of American architecture, his buildings haven’t always been treated with the same care that the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust now works to ensure. The owners of a cottage designed by Wright in suburban Glencoe, IL filed and were granted a demolition permit just this June. A Wright-designed multi-purpose entertainment facility called the Midway Gardens existed in Hyde Park for just 15 years. Buildings, regardless of their importance, beauty, or novelty, have to contend with demands of functionality and new development. And the Robie House nearly met a similar fate to many other architecturally significant buildings: deterioration at best and destruction at worst."

Read the entire article here.

Plagued by Fire: New Biography Explores the Humanity of Frank Lloyd Wright

This October, award-winning and nationally best-selling author Paul Hendrickson is releasing his new book, “Plagued by Fire: The Dreams and Furies of Frank Lloyd Wright,” a deeper look into the life, mind, and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. In this biography, Hendrickson strives to give a fresh, deep, and more human understanding of the Wright by sharing more about the many unknown and unspoken elements of his life.

The book covers many topics including Wright’s relationship with his father, and his friend and mentor Cecil Corwin, the eerie, unmistakable role of fires in his life, the connection between the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, and the murder of Mamah, her two children, and four others at Taliesin, his beloved Wisconsin home.

The book will be released on October 1, 2019, everywhere that books are available, and can be pre-ordered here..

23 Buildings You Shouldn’t Miss In Chicago

This year Chicago celebrates the 2019-2020 Biennial and the city has plenty to offer. But, where to start? If you love architecture, ArchDaily has a list of buildings – old and new – that will help you understand, internalize and love Chicago’s built environment. Among many favorites are the Charnley-Persky House, the Robie House, and the Oak Park & Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. Read the entire list here.

Wright's Christie House Back On Market For $1.5M

The first New Jersey home designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright is for sale. The property, known as The Christie House, is located in Bernardsville. The Usonian house was built in 1940 and is the first of four homes in New Jersey designed by Wright. One of those homes has been relocated, leaving just three in the Garden State.

Designed for James B. Christie, this handsome Frank Lloyd Wright house bears the iconic hallmarks of the Usonian design with its low-slung form, strong connection with the outdoors, and reliance on native materials including brick, cypress, and redwood throughout.

The single-story, Usonian house was based off a two-by-four-foot grid that informed the 2,000-square-foot, L-shaped plan. The home is set far back on a wooded 7.2-acre property, and features three bedrooms and three full bathrooms. Listed on Oct. 1, according to Realtor.com. It has been on and off the market since 2016, when it was listed at $2.2 million, according to Zillow. The asking price is today just shy of $1.5 million. See the photos here.

University of Oklahoma Students Explore Rich History of Design at Taliesin West

This May, in partnership with the School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT), 13 students who study at the University of Oklahoma’s Gibbs College of Architecture had the opportunity to learn from Frank Lloyd Wright’s principles firsthand when they visited Taliesin West for an eight-day immersion program. Undergraduate and graduate students from several of the school’s programs including interior design, architecture, environmental design, landscape design, and regional and city planning, participated in the program.

During their visit they explored Taliesin West through in-depth studio-based experiences including tours and individual exploration of the house, educational lectures and discussions, and studio exercises crafted to deepen students’ understanding of Wright’s design. Read more here.

Orval E. Faubus House Added To National Register Listings

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) announces the addition of 10 new National Register of Historic Places sites. The register, administered by the National Park Service, is the country’s official list of historically significant sites worthy of preservation. Eligible listings include historic districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that are significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture.

Included in this list is the Orval E. Faubus House. “The Faubus House in Huntsville was a particularly enjoyable listing to share as it was designed by E. Fay Jones, a protégée of Frank Lloyd Wright,” explains Director of the AHPP Scott Kaufman. “Jones is highly regarded as the preeminent architect in Arkansas, designing the famed Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs as well as many other buildings including homes, businesses, pavilions, and more. His name lives on at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas.” More information here.

Artist And Architecture Programs At The Guggenheim

This month, hear directly from architects and contemporary artists during programs that celebrate the Frank Lloyd Wright building anniversary and engage with exhibitions on view. Enjoy special programs and new ways to experience the unique Frank Lloyd Wright–designed building all month long.

One interesting program of note is Responding to Wright: Architects Design for the Guggenheim, on Monday, October 21. On the 60th anniversary, three esteemed architects—Lise Anne Couture, Hani Rashid, and Meejin Yoon—who have interpreted and engaged the museum’s rotunda discuss their site-specific exhibition design interventions and their experience working with Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural icon. Tickets here.

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