Issue 248 April 7th 2021

The Headlines

LISTEN NOW: Unusual Events At The Historic Park Inn

The latest episode from the podcast "2021: 10 Successful Years of the Historic Park Inn" is here. In this episode, Pat Schultz returns to tell us more about design details and upgrades made to Frank Lloyd Wright's Historic Park Inn over the years, as well as peculiar tales of the building's early history — like the mischief of Penny the pup. Tune in here.

Architect Douglas Cardinal On Building In Harmony With Nature

CBC Radio features an interview with Douglas Cardinal, an Indigenous Canadian architect based in Ottawa, Ontario. Cardinal is perhaps best known for his designs of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec (1989) and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. (1998).[2] He is considered one of Canada's most influential contemporary Indigenous architects.

His flowing architecture marked with smooth curvilinear forms is influenced by his Aboriginal heritage as well as European Expressionist architecture. His passion for unconventional forms and appreciation of nature and landscape were present in his life from a very young age, and consequently developed into the unique architectural style he has employed throughout his career. Organic architecture, a term coined by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, usually refers to buildings whose shapes mimic nature.

Internationally, Cardinal explained, his work is looked at as organic architecture. But in Canada Cardinal's work is often seen as Indigenous architecture."Because I do things differently, and because of my own Indigenous roots, then people class my architecture here in Canada as Indigenous." More from Douglas Cardinal here.

Architecture In Film: Modernism, Futurism And Beyond

From modernist houses to futuristic landscapes, the built environment and the ambience it creates play a key role in visual storytelling. Film and architecture have been intertwined since the birth of the moving image; Ewa Effiom explores and celebrates architecture in film through the decades.

"Dystopic visions are a recurring theme in films. A notable example is Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, set in 2019 San Angeles, a futuristic, post-industrialist city. Like all good sci-fi creations, the film is a critique of past and present, and a clear manifestation of the fears aroused by this new urban condition. It acts as a warning to population increase, urban sprawl and unbridled capitalism. Among this, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Angeles provides the perfect, moody backdrop for the protagonist’s home." Read the entire article here.

50 Lessons To Learn From Frank Lloyd Wright

The new book, 50 Lessons To Learn From Frank Lloyd Wright written by Aaron Betsky and Gideon Fink Shapiro with photographs by Andrew Pielage, begins with a simple question: What lessons can designers today learn from Frank Lloyd Wright?

Unlike recent books focusing on Wright’s tumultuous personal life and the Taliesin Fellowship, and equally unlike certain works that paint Wright as a mythical hero or genius, this handsome and valuable volume aims to reveal some of the design tools Wright used to create exceptional architecture, interiors, and landscapes—and how we may glean insight from an American master and find inspiration for the thoughtful design of our own homes. By means of succinct examples, the authors share fifty lessons, or "learning points," with an eye to Wright-designed houses and interiors, ranging from "Let Nature Inspire You," "Screen, Don’t Close," and "Embroider Rooms with Textiles," to "Look to Asia," "Design for Resilience" and "Balance the Whole."

Each lesson is accompanied by color photographs, original Wright drawings, newly commissioned diagrams, thoughtful analysis by the authors, and pearls of wisdom gathered from the master's trove of writings on architecture and design. Beyond specific lessons, this volume offers an informal yet richly detailed introduction to this seminal figure, world-famous for his romantic Fallingwater and magical Guggenheim Museum, and will be of much interest to the budding architecture enthusiast as well as to the interior designer, to those seeking ideas for their own homes, and to fans of Frank Lloyd Wright looking for just the right book. For more info, follow the link.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Forgotten House

While the grandiosity of Fallingwater and elegance of Taliesin are recognized universally, Frank Lloyd Wright’s first foray into affordable housing is frequently overlooked. Although Wright began work on his American System-Built Homes (ASBH, 1911–17) with great energy, the project fell apart following wartime shortages and disputes between the architect and his developer. While continuing to advocate for the design of affordable small homes, Wright never spoke publicly of ASBH. As a result, the heritage of many Wright-designed homes was forgotten.

When Nicholas and Angela Hayes became stewards of the unassuming Elizabeth Murphy House near Milwaukee, they began to unearth evidence that ultimately revealed a one-hundred-year-old fiasco fueled by competing ambitions and conflicting visions of America. The couple’s forensic pursuit of the truth untangled the ways Wright’s ASBH experiment led to one of the architect’s most productive, creative period. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Forgotten House includes a wealth of drawings and photographs, many of which have never been previously published. Historians, architecture buffs, and Wrightophiles alike will be fascinated by this untold history that fills a crucial gap in the architect’s oeuvre. More info on ordering here.

Dana-Thomas House: Restored Wright

Plan to virtually attend the Dana-Thomas House Foundation's webinar by Mike Jackson, FAIA, on Tuesday, April 20, 7-8:30 PM CDT. Mike Jackson, the project manager for the restoration of the Dana-Thomas State Historic Site, will tell the story of the six-year effort to return the house to its architectural character in 1910. The project was enthusiastically supported by Gov. Jim Thompson, who had a special interest in Illinois history. The state selected Wilbert Hasbrouck as the restoration architect, in recognition of his work as an early champion of the Prairie School design movement and historic preservation. Hear the story of the project, the people and the collecting effort that makes the Dana-Thomas House one of the finest Wright houses in America. The event is $10 and helps support the Dana-Thomas House Foundation. Registration and more info here.

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