Issue 199 April 29th 2020

The Headlines

Wright’s Neils House Now For Sale For $2.75M

The real estate market may seem like it’s on pause due to COVID-19, but there are still plenty of stunning homes to ogle. Curbed features this three-bedroom, three-bath beauty in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1951, the Frieda and Henry J. Neils House first hit the market in 2018 for $3,400,000, but the home has since seen a few price drops as it waits for the right buyer.

Wright designed the property for Henry Neils, a stone and architectural materials distributor, and Neils worked closely on the project. Unlike many of Wright’s other houses, the structure features aluminum window framing instead of wood and boasts unique stone walls.

Other elements are peak Usonian, including the L-shaped floorplan with large window expanses, angled corners, asymmetrical layouts, and wood paneling. Wright’s trademark red flooring is easy to spot, as are the gorgeous built-ins.

A soaring great room is the 2,511-square-foot home’s focal point, where the overhanging roof appears to thrust the space out toward Cedar Lake. Walls of glass and sliders further the indoor-outdoor connection, while stone walls, a long integrated sofa and massive hearth cozy up the room. A dining nook with built-in bench seating and what looks like original Wright furniture is found on the other side.

Each bedroom features a unique layout of paneling and built-ins, and one of the lofted bedrooms has a “secret” passageway connecting to a second mezzanine and another bedroom below. The home is now on the market for $2,750,000. See more photos here.

Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Classroom Activity 2: Squares, Patterns & Realistic Drawings

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has collaborated with the Paradise Valley School District to create a series of K-12 curriculum. This is the second of 6 activities from that collaboration. For Activity 2 in the Virtual Classroom, kids can explore making realistic drawings from nature after learning about squares and patterns in the video. Learn more here.

Build Iconic Architecture Two Ways With These Double-Sided Puzzles

If you’re searching for a way to relieve stress during this quarantine, jigsaw puzzles are always a fun option. For those interested in an option that will give you more bang for your buck, Galison’s double-sided jigsaws are the way to go. Printed with images of Frank Lloyd Wright’s world-renowned structures, like the Guggenheim and Fallingwater, these stunning puzzles will provide hours of fun for artists and history-lovers alike. Get more details here.

A Look At New Jersey's Three Remaining Wright Houses

Between 1940 and 1958, Frank Lloyd Wright fielded requests to design private residences in New Jersey. Only four were ultimately realized: the James and Lucille Christie House in Bernardsville (built in 1940), the J. Alfred and Muriel Sweeton House in Cherry Hill (1950), the Richardson House (1951), and the Gloria Bachman and Abe Wilson House in Millstone (circa 1954).

The Richardson House, the Christie House and the Sweeton House are all privately owned. Unfortunately, floods from hurricanes Floyd (1999) and Irene (2011) extensively damaged the Bachman-Wilson House. In 2014, its owners sold it to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it was meticulously restored and is now displayed on the museum grounds. In a recent article, the owners share their experiences living in and serving as stewards of these architectural gems. Read more about the Garden State Wrights here.

Don't Miss Cranbrook's Virtual Tours

If you're looking for some cool virtual art and architectural experiences, then you won't want don't miss the various virtual tours of Cranbrook’s historic properties and collections, including the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Smith House, a 1950 Usonian house and 2017 gift to the institution.

The Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research centralizes the Cranbrook story to increase awareness of—and access to—the diverse art, architectural, landscape, design, and historical resources that comprise the Cranbrook legacy. Founded in 2012, the Center serves a broad audience—including students, scholars, and the general public—through its research initiatives and educational programs, which include tours, lectures, and numerous behind-the-scenes opportunities

Every Wednesday at 5:00 EST, Kevin Adkisson, curator for the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, will be doing Facebook Live tours looking at the art, architecture, and ornament of Cranbrook. All the Wednesday Facebook tours are “Live at Five” eastern on the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research Facebook page. They also live on the Videos tab after the live event.

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:00 EST Kevin will also be doing shorter and less extensive Instagram Live tours @CranbrookCenter. The Instagram tours (which disappear after 24 hours) have covered topics including restoration projects on campus, dormitory and studio spaces, our custom street lights, dining hall dishes, our Michigan Native Plants garden by Peter Osler, sculptures collected by Loja Saarinen, and Mrs. Saarinen’s weaving room, including a loom demonstration. The Instagram tours are Tuesday and Thursdays at 5:00pm EST @cranbrookcenter.

This Wednesday evening will be a Facebook Live tour of Eliel Saarinen’s Cranbrook School for Boys (1925—1931), going through the principal lobbies, library, and dining hall, along with the courtyard sculptures, fountains, and gates. It should be about 40-50 minutes.

Future tours will include: May 6 will feature Wright’s Smith House; May 13 will be Eliel Saarinen and Rafael Moneo’s architecture for Cranbrook Academy of Art (1926-1942; 2002); the following Wednesdays will include Cranbrook House (Albert Kahn, 1908; 1918), Christ Church Cranbrook (Bertram Goodhue Associates, 1929), Cranbrook Natatorium (Tod Williams Billie Tsien, 1999), Cranbrook Institute of Science (Eliel Saarinen, 1937; Steven Holl, 1999), and more.

Visit the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research Facebook page here for more details. You can also read more about Wright's Smith House here, and take a 3D Tour here.

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