Issue 288  January 12th 2022

Transcendental Spaces: Frank Lloyd Wright And John Lautner Through My Lens

The Whirling Arrow has an article that originally appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of the Frank Lloyd Wright Quarterly about Architectural and editorial photographer Elizabeth Daniels reflecting on an assignment to photograph John Lautner's Sheats-Goldstein Residence and the revitalizing nature of both Lautner and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.

"When photographing structures designed by Wright or Lautner, my goal is to capture the energy these spaces contain. Before I understood their shared philosophy of Organic Architecture, I experienced similar, unique experiences in their spaces. I viscerally felt their connection."

According to photographer Julius Schulman, Wright considered Lautner to be the “Next Best Architect on Earth.” Lautner thought Wright was a genius. " To read the entire article and see the photographs click here.

Click for more details: franklloydwright.org  

Skyline Lodge Makes The Awesome Retro List

Travel + Leisure magazine has 14 Awesome Retro Motor Lodges in the U.S.worth stopping for. Whether you want to cruise the rural highways of New England or roam the sun-baked back roads of California, you'll find destination-worthy motor lodges with awesome retro appeal along the way. Our favorite on this list is the Skyline Lodge in Highlands, North Carolina.

When architect Arthur J. Kelsey, an early friend and Cincinnati enthusiast of Frank Lloyd Wright, drafted Skyline Lodge in the late 1920s, it was the classic motor court design that typified the era. The lodge’s original owner, Howard Randall, commissioned Kelsey to design the building, resulting in signature FLLW touches like native stone, chestnut wood, and hand-cut cedar shakes. Despite its one-of-a-kind design and great popularity as one of the only places to stay overnight in the increasingly popular destination of Highlands, the lodge closed its doors in 1938 following the death of Mr. Randall.

Luckily, in the 1950s, it was rescued from disrepair, and by the 1960s was welcoming back guests with additional rooms and a much needed update to the structure. More than 80 years after its original construction, the lush greenery has flourished and now completely surrounds the lodge, exemplifying the Wright design tradition of architecture slowly becoming one with the natural environment. Today, Skyline Lodge, with its storied history, is newly reopened by Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which extensively renovated the property before reopening in summer 2021.

To see the entire list of retro places to stay, click here.

Click for more details: travelandleisure.com  

A Look At The Lost Steffens House

Simone Paganelli's YouTube channel features a CGI look at the lost Wright residential work, The Oscar Steffens House (1909), formally of Chicago, IL. Check out the digital recreation of this late Prairie era Wright gem here.

Click for more details: youtube.com  

Design Competition Seeks To Make Lake Monona Waterfront A "Must See" Destination

After decades of ideas but little action, the city of Madison, Wisconsin, is launching a competition to help transform the much-used but uninspired Lake Monona waterfront between Williamson Street and Olin Park into a “must see” regional destination.

The coming competition will invite designers to craft a master plan that would better connect Capitol Square and nearby neighborhoods to the lake, improve water quality and aquatic habitat, celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy and preserve the lake’s cultural history from the Ho-Chunk Nation to present.

Based on preliminary work, the master plan could be modest to monumental, including pedestrian bridges or even a terraced park built over John Nolen Drive to the lakeshore, extending Law Park into the lake, creating better spots for shore fishing and other activities, expanding Monona Terrace, and a striking public boathouse and marina designed by Wright in 1893.

The city’s draft “request for qualifications,” the first step in identifying potential designers, says the master plan should transform the city’s premier lakefront into a “beautiful, activity-rich, signature park” and calls the challenge “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Madison’s urban waterfront.”

Up to three design team finalists would get $75,000 apiece to create draft plans, while the chosen team would receive a contract of up to $200,000 to refine a preferred master plan that would be recommended to the mayor, City Council, and Park Commission.

A resolution introduced by council president Syed Abbas and four council members whose districts touch the waterfront would authorize the competition and create a 13-member ad hoc committee to select finalists and recommend a preferred master plan by Sept. 1, 2023. More here.

Click for more details: madison.com