Issue 230 December 2nd 2020

The Headlines

Pearl Palace To Undergo Urgent Restoration

The Tehran Times reports that the Taliesin Associated Architects-designed "Pearl Palace" is scheduled to undergo some urgent restoration work. In collaboration with Karaj Municipality, the project will involve repairing the palace’s dome to prevent it from further damages. A budget of 9 billion rials (about $215,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated to the project. Also known as Shams Palace, the monument was constructed from 1966 to 1968 and designedby William Wesley Peters and the Taliesin Associated Architects — Frank Lloyd Wright's successor firm. Designed as a residence for princess Shams Pahlavi, elder sister of Mohammadreza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

In 2003, Shams Palace was finally registered by Iran’s National Heritage Foundation. However, despite being recognized as an important historical monument deserving restoration, since this time the condition of the palace has further declined. Read more here.

Wright's Richardson House [NOT] For Sale

UPDATE: This information as originally reported on NJ1015.com is not accurate. The homeowner has stated this is incorrect and the home is NOT for sale.

Judi Franco shares the news that one of only three Frank Lloyd Wright homes left in New Jersey, a Glen Ridge three-bedroom, two-bath home, featuring a unique hexagonal floor plan. The home is called The Stuart Richardson House, and was Built in 1951 and named for a prominent actuary named Stuart Richardson and his wife. For a dream home, it isn’t that big — just 1,800 square feet and sitting on half an acre.

What’s so cool about the home though is that the whole design is based on hexagons. Everything from the floor tiles to the shape of the shower is hexagonal, even the pool. The rooms in the home are formed by 60 and 120-degree angles, without right angles. The home also boasts a new roof, a new heating system, a hexagonal walk-in shower in the master bathroom, a sky-lit kitchen with a wood-paneled refrigerator, and an electric oven.

Wright, a music lover, also designed a pattern throughout the home that looks like musical notation and even went so far as to nickname the home “Scherzo,” the musical term for a light and playful composition. Add in floor-to-ceiling windows, triangular recessed lighting, and a cantilevered entryway, as well as original built-in desks, dressers, tables, cabinets, and a triangular fireplace, and you’ve got a home that is just as unique and beautiful as a Frank Loyd Wright home always is. See it here.

Kamiya Architects Transforms An Arata Endo Villa Into A Hotel In Tokyo

Kamiya Architects has completed the transformation of a residence built in 1982 by Arata Endo, one of the architects who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright in Japan during the 1920s. Dubbed "Hayama Kachi House," this cultural property located near the suburbs of Tokyo has been renovated into a hotel, taking into consideration the importance of architectural preservation. See the amazing transformation here.

Pleasant Home To Get Sustainable Upgrade

Thanks to a sizeable grant from the state of Illinois, the Park District of Oak Park (PDOP) has received necessary funding to install a geothermal heating and cooling system in the historic Pleasant Home. A National Historic Landmark, Pleasant Home was designed by George W. Maher in 1897 as a family home. The park district acquired the mansion in 1939 and it became a popular venue for community events. For many decades it also housed the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. Pleasant Home was opened as a museum in 1990 with the creation of the Pleasant Home Foundation. While the park district owns the property, the foundation operates the museum.

The installation of a geothermal system will provide more sustainable heating and cooling for the 123-year-old mansion. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced the park district will receive $421,500 for the project, which is estimated to cost a total of $821,000. The funds were made available through the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program. The remaining cost will be covered by the park district's capital improvement budget. More here.

Carefully Transforming The Arizona Biltmore

Virserius Studio is in the midst of repurposing and repositioning the historic Arizona Biltmore, which opened in 1929. This is a major-scale, $100 million project over two years, comprising work on the adult pool, event lawn, Wright bar, and cottages. Considered an architectural masterpiece, the Arizona Biltmore showcases the groundbreaking influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, who consulted on the hotel with his protégé, Albert Chase McArthur, whose own important influences are woven throughout the original design.

Upholding the traditions of its regional forebears, the renovation and historic restoration includes referential details throughout, like bespoke ornate stained-glass and mosaics. Founder and principal Therese Virserius describes her design process, explaining how she updated the hotel by adding Art Deco flourishes, sumptuous furniture, and lavish outdoor spaces. More here.

So Minnesota: A Look At Wright's Hastings Building

An episode of So Minnesota on KSTP.com features the Fasbender Clinic in Hastings, Minnesota, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 1950s. Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright come to see the building from around the country and around the world. "We've had people come here from Japan, from South Africa, from Europe, from China," financial planner Abra Hovgaard, owner of the building, said.

Frank Lloyd Wright's hand-drawn designs for the building hang in the office, complete with Wright's trademark signature. See the clip here.

In Memoriam: Robert J. Kresse

Robert J. Kresse, 93, passed away Monday in his Buffalo, New York, home. Kresse's numerous accolades include the Lifetime Achievement Award from New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Wall of Honor from the Buffalo & Erie County Naval and Military Park and the Corporate Leadership Award from the Community Action Organization. He was twice named a Buffalo News Outstanding Citizen, the second time with Mary Ann Kresse. As a founding member of the Darwin Martin Restoration Corp., Mr. Kresse and the Wendt Foundation played a major role in what would ultimately become the largest and costliest restoration of a Frank Lloyd Wright property in the world.

"Bob really was a titan," said Mary Roberts, the Martin House's executive director. "He was a real champion of historic preservation, and his loss is a big one for this community." Read more about his amazing achievements here.

Support A Good Cause

As this challenging year comes to a close, there are ample opportunities to support the various non-profit architectural organizations that do good works around the country. We highlight several of those groups over the year and will continue to do so as we wind 2020 toward its end.

One such organization is the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which works to educate a worldwide audience about Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy, influence the future of architecture and design, and preserve two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Taliesin and Taliesin West. Supporting their mission by becoming a member helps advance the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's mission to inspire people to discover and embrace an architecture for better living through meaningful connections to nature, the arts, and each other. Find out how you can be part of this effort by becoming a member here.

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