Issue 258 June 16th 2021

The Headlines

New Fallingwater Illustrated T-Shirts Available

Wright Society's very own Eric O'Malley has been working with Fallingwater to bring his high-contrast architectural illustration of the iconic "house on the waterfall" to some new t-shirts. They are available in three colorways: Black, Red, and Grey. Get yours, help support the mission of Fallingwater, and look stylish as well! More here.

Wright's San Francisco Office Exhibit To Debut In July

Erie's Hagen History Center has acquired the business and personal offices of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and they've built an exhibit around it in the museum's brand new exhibit building.

In the exhibit, visitors are transported into his time, organic architecture and vision, right down to the illuminated view out the windows.

"This office was his for his California work," said executive director George Deutsch. "This is where he created, where he thought. And that's really an interesting opportunity for us to interpret."

Bringing Wright's office to Erie — items once displayed at the Heinz Architectural Center in Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art — has been a multiyear dream for Deutsch and Wright aficionado Tom Hagen.

In addition to the permanent exhibit, there will be some visiting Frank Lloyd Wright artifacts including a 17-foot model of The Butterfly Bridge he hoped to build over San Francisco Bay. Read more about it here.

David Henken-Designed Home Asks $1.4M After New Renovation

A three-bedroom home in Pleasantville, New York, designed in 1951 by Frank Lloyd Wright-disciple David Henken, is on the market for $1.4 million. It recently underwent a renovation that includes a new kitchen, refinished cypress walls and vaulted fir ceilings, and modern upgrades like electric heated floors and cedar-lined closets–all of which preserves it mid-century charm.

Like Frank Lloyd Wright, one of David Henken’s signature aesthetics was the seamless transition of indoor and outdoor spaces. In addition to several terraces and patios, the home’s materials play to this theme and include exterior and interior cypress walls, mahogany detailing, and bluestone pavers outside. There is also beautiful landscaping throughout.

The interior is a total of 1,904 square feet. It’s highlighted by an oversized fireplace, which anchors the traditional Usonian circular-flow living area. Its plaster surround has been completely reimagined and serves as a natural divider between the living room and kitchen. See the photos here.

Currier Museum's Zimmerman And Kalil Houses Open To The Public Again

As of June 9th, visitors can get a closer look at the Zimmerman House and, for the first time, the Kalil House, both owned by the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, and designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the latter part of his life and career. They are the only Wright homes open to the public in New England.

“To have two houses by Frank Lloyd Wright on the same new street in New Hampshire is just remarkable,” said Andrew Spahr, the Currier’s director of curatorial affairs. “The other thing that is so special is that they came to us in really great condition.”

The two couples who originally owned the houses were friends as well as colleagues.

Dr. Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman, who both worked in a urology practice, commissioned their home in 1949 and moved into the neighborhood in 1952. They bequeathed the house to the Currier in 1988.

Dr. Toufic and Mildred Kalil, who worked together in a radiology practice, commissioned their home in 1954, and moved in three years later. The Currier acquired the building from the family in 2019.

Tours offered Thursdays through Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m.; evening tour at 6 p.m. on Thursdays.

Visitors need to reserve spots for the two-hour tours. (The houses aren't open to the public otherwise.) Tour groups board an eight-passenger van at the museum, 150 Ash St.

Tickets: Range from $15 to $35 (children need to be 7 or older), and include same-day museum admission. More on these amazing houses here.

Silver Lake’s Neutra/Reunion House Now A Historic Monument

The Los Angeles City Council yesterday added the Dion Neutra/Reunion House, designed by modernist architect Richard Neutra, to the city’s list of Historic-Cultural Monuments according to the Los Feliz Ledger.

“I am proud to add yet another iconic Los Angeles location to the list of Historic-Cultural Monuments in my district and to honor the Neutra legacy that is synonymous with Silver Lake,” Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell said.

The hillside residence was built in 1951 as a speculative home. It was named the “Reunion House,” as it was envisioned to be a house where grandparents would live and family reunions would happen, according to the cultural monument nomination form.

The Neutra family bought the home in 1963 and Richard’s son, Dion, lived in it from 1966 until his death in 2019. Dion, who was also an architect and trained under Richard, contributed to the home by making several refinements and adding an apartment over the garage.

The commission unanimously voted to recommend the City Council add the Reunion House to the Historic-Cultural Monument list.

The 2,155-square-foot home, which is hidden behind dense plantings on the hillside, is “an excellent example of a single-family dwelling in the Mid- Century Modern architectural style, and a highly intact work by architects Richard and Dion Neutra,” the nomination form states.

Richard Neutra has been hailed as one of the most important architects of modernism. He was born in Vienna in 1892 and lived and worked in Germany. He briefly worked for Frank Lloyd Wright following his arrival in the U.S in 1923. He died in Germany in 1970.

Dion Neutra was born in Los Angeles in 1926 and began training under his father when he was 11 years old. He studied at USC’s School of Architecture, where he graduated in 1950. He practiced architecture with his father and then independently. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 93 in November 2019.

The home was nominated by Raymond Neutra, the brother of Dion Neutra and president of the Neutra Institute for Survival Through Design.

“I just want to emphasize how the Neutra Institute hopes to use this historic monument, not only as an artistic object but also as a reason for beginning further conversation on topics that are important now, and this relates to multi-family housing and multi-generational housing and (accessory dwelling units) and also the housing of people as they increase in age and the ability to take care of people as they become ill,” Raymond Neutra told the commission. More here.

Wright’s Work In Florida

Frank Lloyd Wright lest his indelible mark on several states in America, but Florida boasts some very special examples. The Lewis Spring House was built for George Lewis II in 1954, in Tallahassee. It is the only private residence he had constructed in the entire state. George and his wife, Clifton, approached Wright to build a home for their large family in 1950. He finished the designs in 1952 and set one of his representatives to work finding a contractor willing to make his plans a reality. Construction on the home began in April 1954 and was completed in December of that year, and the Lewis family moved in before the new year. The Lewis family moved out of the home in 2010, and to this day the Spring House Institute preserves this historic property.

The second property in Florida designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is part of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Wright originally planned out 18 structures to create an 80-acre network of buildings and walkways. Of those 18 designs, 12 were constructed between 1938-1958 and one more was built after his death. It is the biggest collection of Wright’s architecture in the world that is located at a single site and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Read more here.

The Wright Rental Homes For Design Lovers

Megan Slack of Livingetc has compiled a list of some of the most iconic buildings in modern American design – the perfect place to hit snooze or have breakfast in bed. Those dreams of drinking champagne in a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home are about to become a reality.

Some of Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are now available for rent around the US – and there is no better way to kick off traveling again than by treating yourself to a night in a staple of design history.

For the vacation of a lifetime, escape to one of the handful of homes currently available for rent – but as a warning – you're not going to want to sleep away any second any of these iconic structures. See the entire list here.

Don't Miss Cedar Rock's Strawberry Moon

The Friends of Cedar Rock in Quasqueton, IA recently announced their once a year fundraising event, Strawberry Moon, which is coming up this Saturday, June 19th, from 6:00 to 9:00pm. It's your chance to experience Cedar Rock at night with your friends and family. Music, lights, and light refreshments will be available. For more info, follow the link.

About

This weekly Wright Society update is brought to you by Eric O'Malley with Bryan and Lisa Kelly. If you enjoy these free, curated updates—please forward our sign-up page and/or share on Social Media.

If you’d like to submit content to be featured here, please reach out by emailing us at mail[at]wrightsociety.com.