Issue Aug 28th 2024  August 28th 2024

The Scandal Behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s Midwestern Skyscraper

Frank Lloyd Wright’s one and only skyscraper is officially for sale less than two years after it was purchased by private investors in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The Price Tower, a 19-story project originally designed in the mid-1920s, was once intended for New York, but the Great Depression stunted those plans from ever moving forward.

Referred to as “the tree that escaped the crowded forest” by Wright, the structure is a continuation of the architect’s attempt to embody nature through his work. However, instead of becoming a four tower apartment complex in Manhattan, the H.C. Price oil and gas company commissioned the shimmering copper and concrete icon to be built in the small midwestern city in 1953.

According to Architectural Digest, the building was designed to resemble a large tree, with its concrete base making up the trunk, and green copper panels, sun louvers, and exposed elevator shafts mimicking the leaves. H.C. Price used the tower as their main office headquarters and company apartments until their closure in 1981. Since then, the building’s fate has been met with a slew of mishandlings.

Used as a storage facility for several years by the Phillips Petroleum Company, it was eventually donated to the specialized non-profit Price Tower Arts Center in 2000. It underwent renovations in the early millennia, and a museum dedicated to Wright, a boutique hotel, and a bar and restaurant were established within the Tower. By 2007, it had become a National Historic Landmark. Though office spaces were rented out, the non-profit struggled with the upkeep and fell into a debt of around $600,000.

This is when Anthem and Cynthia Blanchard, founders of Copper Tree, Inc., came into the picture. Despite community concerns over private investors buying the structure in March of 2023, the couple promised to pay off the debt racked up by Price Tower Arts Center and invest an additional $10 million into renovations. Their terms of purchase practically guaranteed it, seeing as they were able to finalize the building's sale for a mere $10 (plus the debt payment), but these promises never panned out.

In fact, strange measures were taken by the property owners. Despite Cynthia Blanchard’s expectation that Bartlesville would experience a tech renaissance she called “Silicon Ranch,” her husband’s cryptocurrency company, HeraSoft, would soon eat the brunt of the couple’s financial mismanagement.

Months after the building’s purchase, Copper Tree, Inc. claimed in court that HeraSoft had insufficient funds to pay their staff. Three employees have since revealed they were pressured into swapping their paychecks for equity in Price Tower and had evidence that HeraSoft owed them a combined amount of $200,000.

Unfortunately, this isn't even the tip of the iceberg. More trouble came when the duo behind Copper Tree, Inc. began selling protected building furnishings designed by Wright to third parties. Due to the Tower’s status as a heritage site, the artifacts found within the Price Tower technically belong to The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy.

The Conservancy filed UCC Financing Statements against Cynthia Blanchard, Copper Tree, Inc., and Green Copper Holdings on August 8th after a rolling directory board, copper relief panels, tables, stools, and an armchair arrived at a mid-century design dealer in Dallas, Texas.

Barbara Gordon, the Conservancy’s executive director, stated, “This collection of items cannot be sold. Frank Lloyd Wright designed in a holistic environment. He considered not just the building, but the items inside it. It’s important to keep the items together to understand the design.”

As of right now, the Price Tower will go to auction in early October of 2024 for an estimated $4 million asking price. The Tower will be closed until then. All commercial businesses have been asked to find new accommodations by the end of August, and all building employees have been laid off by Copper Tree, Inc.

Click for more details: artandobject.com  

Frank Lloyd Wright’s George Smith House Revived

Frank Lloyd Wright’s George Smith House, located at 404 Home Avenue in Oak Park, was in need of saving in January 2023

Built in 1898, the Shingle-style home had been in the same family for 60 years, and need some updates and maintenance to make it shine. When it was listed for sale for $595,000, Barbara Gordon and John Waters from the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy visited the home and offered renderings of what the home could look like if the next owner spruced it up.

FLWBC Executive Director Barbara Gordon compared the home to Wright’s Parker House, built in 1892 in Oak Park and the Bagley House built in Hinsdale, noting that the young Wright was experimenting with different styles at the time. Waters emphasized the need to preserve original details in the living and dining room such as the diamond-paned windows, Roman brick fireplace and built-in shelving units.

The home’s extensive needs, along with its one bathroom and small kitchen, deterred a few buyers, but after several months on the market it found a buyer and eventually sold for $485,000 in March 2023.

The couple was drawn in by the home’s architectural significance, but was not sure they were ready to take on a big project. The two have asked not to be named to protect their privacy.

One of the owners, an architect, had studied architecture at the School of Architecture at Taliesin and was determined to visit the house during their search for a home to purchase in Oak Park.

His husband was not so keen on the idea.

“In early 2023, after we saw the house, he said, ‘I think we should do it,’ and I said, ‘No, definitely not.’”

“It was this brown, squat house with two window eyes,” the owner added. “We heard from people in the neighborhood that it was a big, haunted house.”

Daunted by the amount of work the house needed, the two were convinced they could make the house livable when they were able to secure the services of general contractor Robert Jahn Construction.

The company had renovated many Wright homes in the past, and once the couple knew the contractor would be available to work on the house and had an estimate for the costs to restore and renovate, they were able to bid on the house.

They tackled the big issues right away. The garage on the lot was falling down, and when the bank wouldn’t include it in the mortgage, they were able to save some money by having it removed.

They excavated the basement and shored up the foundation while creating livable space in the basement complete with a family room, bedroom and bathroom.

“The kitchen was kind of a joke, like it is in a lot of old houses,” one of the owners said. “There wasn’t even a refrigerator.”

Taking space from a rear staircase and rethinking the layout at the rear of the home, they were able to create a larger kitchen and add a powder room to the first floor. On the third floor, they took what was probably once maid’s quarters and created another bedroom and bathroom.

The owners hired local landscaper Garrett Designs to create a backyard oasis and are happily making the home their own.

Through the entire six-month renovation, the three-bedroom, one-bathroom house was transformed into a five bedroom, three full- and two half-bathroom house, including the basement space.

“We did this all without building an addition,” one of the owners said. “That’s where my husband’s real architectural wisdom came through.”

While initially he might have been reluctant to take on the demands of a Wright home in need of so much maintenance, the owner notes also said he had a huge appreciation for Wright from visiting so many Wright homes with his architect husband over the years.

“We’ve been privileged to have so many amazing visits to Wright houses in the past, so once we got started on this, I was all in.”

He said he worked meticulously to restore the details of the house, stripping paint and cleaning the original window hardware with ketchup and recreating missing beads in the original beadboard on the stairs to the second floor.

Along the way, he developed a deeper appreciation for Wright and a curiosity about the home’s past.

“It was slated for demolition in 1962. Around the time of the first historic preservation movement here. The neighbors started a letter writing campaign to save it,” he said.

While he and his husband were busy with the renovation and getting their daughter settled in Oak Park, he said, “It’s taken us until now to fully unpack the architecture and history about why this house is so significant.”

With no original drawings to go on, he began a quest to determine what Wright was doing with the home. He posits that this house might be one of the earliest precursors to Wright’s Prairie Style.

“I believe a Prairie Style element is represented here for the first time,” he said, explaining that the home appears to be laid out in a pinwheel style, which William Storrer defined as a crucial floor plan for Prairie Style homes in his book, The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion.

The home exemplifies other Wright calling cards with a compression in the lowered, closed in entry that releases in the living room. The compression and release cycle is repeated in between the living and dining room, which are connected by a low-ceilinged passage with built-in cabinetry.

Large windows on the front of the home, and a built-in banquette surrounded by windows in the dining room let the outside in.

“The inside-outside dichotomy is here too,” the owner said.

He added that the issues that once scared them away may have been key to the home’s survival.

“One of the amazing things about the house not being maintained was that it wasn’t renovated. Really, all of the architectural features of the house were intact.”

The two said they are looking forward to sharing the home with the community and continuing to discover more about Wright through their home.

“It’s not a fancy house, but he lavished it with a lot of fancy ideas,” the owner said.

Click for more details: oakpark.com  

Iconic Paradise Valley Church Spire To Be Moved Before Building Demolished

When a group of Paradise Valley residents heard that the iconic Ascension Lutheran Church was sold last year to make way for new luxury homes, they jumped into action to save the property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright's son-in-law and apprentice William Wesley Peters, in association with Taliesin Associated Architects.

The church, which was built in 1961, will be razed to make way for an exclusive community of five luxury homes.

The property was one of the most significant designs produced by Taliesin Associated Architects following Frank Lloyd Wright's death in 1959, said Scott Jarson, owner, founder and president of AZ Architecture/Jarson & Jarson Real Estate.

"To me, in some ways, it's the gateway to the heart of Paradise Valley," Jarson said. "I grew up in the town of Paradise Valley less than a mile from that location. It's always been a special landmark."

Construction is expected to begin early next year for homes priced between $15 million and $20 million on that 5.3-acre parcel, said Jay Mecray, who is part of the residential development team for that project.

And now, several Paradise Valley residents joined together to save the 77-foot spire on top of the church building.

Mecray's development team is investing upward of $1 million to dismantle the spire and transport it to town property, Mecray said.

The Guild, the in-house metal and concrete fabrication service of Phoenix-based 180 Degrees Design + Build, will coordinate and physically remove the spire next week.

At its June 13 meeting, Paradise Valley Town Council agreed to allow the group to store it on town property while the group explores options for repurposing the spire, said Labelle, a Realtor with Launch Powered by Compass.

"We're only halfway there," she said. "We need the town decision makers to agree that it will be a good fit for Paradise Valley," she said.

The citizens group will present an argument and fiscal plan at the next Council meeting in September, she said.

"We would have preferred to have seen the building remain intact, but seeing the spire saved and relocated as an important part of art and architecture of the building is a worthy endeavor," Jarson said.

Click for more details: abc15.com  

Photographing Frank Lloyd Wright At The Richard H. Driehaus Museum In Chicago

Ask for the name of an American architect and most people will answer “Frank Lloyd Wright.” But architecture wasn’t Wright’s only interest. He had a lifelong passion for photography. Just as his eye for design was prescient, his interest in the camera began in his early 20s—he acquired one for personal use around 1888. On Oct 24, 2024 through Jan 5, 2025, Chicago’s Driehaus Museum presents the first exhibition exploring Wright’s hobby. The architect photographed portraits, landscapes, and, during a 1905 visit to Japan, structures that inspired him. Wright understood how photographic images of his own buildings influenced the public’s perception of his work. The show also includes Wright’s architecture as photographed by others, and contains examples of his decorative designs, used to bring a unity of expression to his buildings.

Click for more details: airmail.news  

If You’re A Fan Of E. Fay Jones’ Chapels Then You’ll Love His Designer AirBnB

If you’re from Arkansas, then you’re most likely familiar with the architect E. Fay Jones. His most well-known creation is the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs but that’s certainly not the end of his work! Let’s take a retreat to the Stoneflower Airbnb, a stilted cottage designed by Jones, for a stunning getaway on Greers Ferry Lake in Heber Springs.

The famed architect was born in Pine Bluff and spent most of his childhood in Little Rock and El Dorado. He was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright and one of few to earn a AIA Gold Medal (the highest honor awarded by the American Institute of Architects).

Most folks recognize his designed chapels: Thornecrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, and the Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs' Garvan Woodland Gardens. However, these aren't the only places to see his work in Arkansas!

Although it's not as well-known as the chapels, there's another must-visit Jones creation in the Natural State - Stoneflower Cottage. Stoneflower, also known as the Shaheen-Goodfellow Cottage, is an unbelievably stunning retreat hiding on Greers Ferry Lake's Eden Isle.

The stilted cottage is a gorgeous multi-storied treehouse in the forest. The house has a very earthy feel to it, especially with the use of boulders and other natural stone structures. The lower level feels like a private grotto! The upper level is mostly redwood and opens into a lovely 30-ft. deck with a beautiful view of the forest.

The open-air foyer and structural system will instantly remind guests of Jones' other works. Before the Thorncrown Chapel was created, Jones designed this weekend cottage in 1965! The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Fans of architecture, interior design, or just relaxation will adore this cottage! The house can comfortably sleep five adults for a weekend adventure with friends. Due to the 2nd story balcony, kids and pets are best left at home for this AirBnB. In addition to the serene surroundings and stunning house structure, amenities also include Wi-Fi, TV, and spacious kitchen.

The nature vibes of this cottage also extend into the bathroom. It's not every day you can relax under a personal waterfall! Even the cottage's bathroom will transport you to an enchanted nature retreat.

Stays are about $154/night. To book a stay visit the Stoneflower Airbnb listing.

Click for more details: onlyinyourstate.com  

Stuart Graff steps down as Frank Lloyd Wright foundation CEO

Stuart Graff, CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, is stepping down after eight years. During his time, he helped grow the Foundation's revenue, started an endowment, and led preservation projects at important Wright sites like Taliesin. Graff also facilitated partnerships, such as furniture collections inspired by Wright's designs.

Despite some controversies, including the closure of a Wright-established school, Graff's leadership was praised. He will now work with an arts consulting firm but will continue advising the Foundation during the transition.

Click for more details: dezeen.com