Issue 277 October 27th 2021

The Headlines

Giant Of Wright In Mason City: Dr. Robert McCoy

Mark Hertzberg remembers Dr. Robert McCoy...

"Dr. Robert McCoy, Bob to all of us in the World of Wright, died Sunday in Mason City, Iowa, his adopted hometown. He was 93. If you have visited the Frank Lloyd Wright – designed Historic Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank building in Mason City, Iowa, Bob is one of the people to thank for it not having been demolished. If you have visited Wright’s Stockman House in Mason City, Bob is one of the people to thank for it not having been demolished. If… well, now you get an idea of why the architectural interpretive center near the Stockman House and the historic Rock Glen neighborhood was named in his honor."

Read the entire remembrance in Wright in Racine by clicking here.

Tour This Oscar Winner’s Historically Significant Home Designed By Richard Neutra

Architectural Digest provides a photographic tour of Academy Award–winning special effects innovator Richard Edlund's Richard Neutra–designed home.

Built in 1937, the two-story, four-bedroom, four-bathroom home was originally designed for another film industry luminary: writer and producer Edward A. Kaufman. When Edlund bought his Richard Neutra–designed home in the fall of 1983, he knew it would take more than modeling clay and computer-generated imagery to bring the historic modernist property back to life. Luckily, he had the original blueprints that included all of Neutra’s requirements, which made things easier.

Although nearly all present, most of the key elements that exemplify a Neutra home—from the unique use of copper plating on the first level and chrome on the second story to the stylized rain gutters—had to be rehabbed. "I re-chromed and copper-plated all those elements,” he explains. “And, in order to match the original corrugated design of the gutters, I had to have them pre-engineered in Kansas City on the only machine in the country that could corrugate galvanized steel.”

Incredibly, several pieces of the home’s original Neutra-designed furniture managed to survive the previous two residents. “I have the dining table and chairs, a barstool, desk chair, fireplace screen, and a few other pieces in impeccable condition.” All of the built-ins, including a copper-clad desk, Philippines mahogany-faced bookshelves, and banquette seating have also stood the test of time.

In 1987, for all his hard work, Edlund was recognized with a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award for his “outstanding and meticulous restoration” of the home. And, in 1992—on what would have been Neutra’s 100th birthday—the house was chosen as the gathering spot for a party attended by the late architect’s family to celebrate the opening of “The Drawings of Richard Neutra: A Centennial Exhibition” at UCLA, curated by Thomas Hines. Not surprisingly, after nearly four decades as the property’s steward, it continues to be a passion project for him.

“Neutra may have produced a lot of work, but his sweet spot was really between 1929 and 1939,” Edlund avers. He adds: “People love this house—it’s much more livable than most of [his] homes.” Read more and see the photos here.

Wright Apprentice's Home in Johnson City, Tennessee

This unique home is a Johnson City Treasure built by Alfred Abernethy in 1951, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, as his personal residence which resembles the Usonian aesthetic. Upon entering you are greeted with a bright and airy open concept, featuring large windows, a beautiful suspended walnut staircase, and an indoor garden. The elegant piece of perfectly preserved architecture drew a huge crowd of Wright fans fond of refined finishes and sumptuous surroundings. See the photos here.

Touring Sarasota's Mid-century Modern Architecture

Travel + Leisure magazine takes a look at a look at some of the country's most iconic mid-century buildings in sunny Sarasota, Florida.

With its walkable downtown and sparkling white-sand beaches, Sarasota has a snowbird population that has been flocking here for decades. But it also has a progressive spirit that has kept the city young and diverse, with forward-thinking initiatives and innovative municipal planning. Sarasota's cultural gems compete with—and even outpace—those in the far glitzier and more touristed Palm Beach and Miami.

In this fertile environment, innovative developers and builders were able to attract a group of young architects influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, and other interpreters of the European International Style. Read about the architectural offerings here.

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