Issue 285 December 22nd 2021

The Headlines

Hollyhock House's "Residence A" Shines After Exterior Restoration

Officials gathered at Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood, California, this week to celebrate the first phase of restoring a century-old guest house designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The meticulous restoration what's known as Residence A, which is part of the Hollyhock House compound, took five years and about $5 million in public funds and grants. In this first phase, the exterior of the historic landmark was recreated, building systems were improved, and structural and seismic work was conducted. But the interior will remain closed to the public until the second phase of the project is finished. Work began on the second phase began this month and is expected to take up to two years an $2.1 million to complete.

In 2019, the Hollyhock House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, regarded as among the globe's most important cultural, historic and natural places.

“At 100, this National Historic Landmark is being brought back to its original 1921 design for all to enjoy,” said Abbey Chamberlain Brach, the Hollyhock House curator. To see a news clip from ABC News 7 click here.

Insights Into Louis Sullivan’s Idea

The Objective Standard's Timothy Sandefur recently offered his insights on the new book Louis Sullivan's Idea, by Tim Samuelson and Chris Ware which is available now and should be on the Christmas wish list of anyone who loves architecture. Sandefur writes, "this hefty monograph help[s] preserve [Sullivan's] work and encourage a new generation’s interest in a man justly considered the father of the skyscraper." Read more about it here.

Minnesota's Broadbent Residence Bumps Up Against Preservation And Upgrades

A Southwest Rochester, MN home designed by local firm Ellerbe & Associates and clearly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright could provide insight into how the city can work with owners of historic properties.

That was the message members of the city’s Heritage Preservation Commission had before denying a request to remove the property from the city’s list of potential landmarks.

“I think it might be an opportunity to work together to try to waylay the impression individual homeowners have that this is a very negative thing,” commission member Gail Eadie said before the commission voted 7-2 to keep the home at 2410 Hillside Lane SW on the city’s list.

Property owners, Phil and Brittany Pattee, asked the commission to remove the property from the list, which provides an increased level of oversight for changes to the exterior of the property.

The owners say they are working with an architect and builder that have an appreciation for the style of the 1958 home and understand the desire to preserve it.

“We’ve been looking for something along these lines for a very long time,” Brittany Pattee told the commission. “We were really excited when it came on the market. We don’t want to change any of the features of the home.”

The viewpoint was noted by commission members who said they would like to see the Pattees work with the city to forge a path to make the needed changes and still protect the potential historic nature of the home. Read more about it here.

Patent Pending: Frank Lloyd Wright And The Rise Of Intellectual Property Rights In Architecture

What do Frank Lloyd Wright, Buckminster Fuller and Thomas Edison have in common? They were among the many people throughout the 19th century who were imagining ways to mass-produce buildings and were part of the understudied culture around patents and intellectual property in 19th and 20th century architectural practice. This included Wright’s own work in the Luxfer prism competition and the American System-Built houses.

February 23, 2022, at 5 p.m. CST, Via Zoom, Peter Christensen, an historian of architecture and infrastructure and Associate Professor of Art History and Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester, will explore the greater overlap between the rising context of intellectual property rights on either side of the Atlantic and Wright’s own work in this arena. The recipient of numerous fellowships and grants, Christensen is currently a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, researching and writing a book which will examine the transformative role played by global patent culture in the formation of both architecture in the 19th and 20th centuries and modern conceptions of authorship in the field of architecture.

Advance registration is required. Admission is $10 for the general public; $5 for Friend-level members of the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy; and free for Associate-level members and above. Registration will close two hours before the start of the talk, shortly after which all registrants will receive an email with a Zoom link to access the event. A recording will be made available to registrants to view for one month after the event. More info here.

If you have questions or require registration assistance, please email events@savewright.org.

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