Issue 454  March 12th 2025

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Kalita?

The Kalita Humphreys Theater, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and opened in December 1959, stands as a striking but controversial architectural landmark in Dallas. Wright, America’s most famous modern architect, never saw a performance there, passing away eight months before its completion. The theater was also shaped by Paul Baker, DTC’s founding artistic director, whose collaboration with Wright was often contentious.

Over the decades, opinions on the Kalita have been deeply divided, with some praising it as a masterpiece and others criticizing its functionality. Originally the home of the Dallas Theater Center, the building has served multiple purposes, including as a graduate theatre school. However, years of deferred maintenance have left it in disrepair, with issues ranging from a deteriorating exterior to outdated stage equipment and infrastructure problems.

In May 2024, Dallas approved an $8.9 million bond for essential repairs, but these funds will only address basic functionality, not a full restoration. With previous attempts to implement a master plan for the site failing, discussions about the theater’s legacy and the future of performance space design are becoming increasingly urgent.

Click for more details: americantheatre.org  

A Pristine Bay Area Home By Aaron Green (Somehow) Had Room For Improvement

"The original home in Palo Alto, California was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protégé Aaron Green and built by Eichler Homes in 1966. In 1951, Frank Lloyd Wright hired Green as his West Coast representative, allowing him to continue his independent practice out of their joint office", according to Schwartz and Architecture.

"Our primary design charge for the renovation was ‘First, do no harm.’ This dictum, from Hippocrates’ 400 B.C.E. text ‘Of the Epidemics,’ would prove ironic given the timing of the global pandemic and its impact on the project’s cost and schedule. Our challenge was to protect the design integrity of the home while adding a substantial amount of space to make it viable for a young family with three children.

"The home was virtually untouched by the original owners and included custom furniture pieces salvaged and integrated into the new design. The house is tucked back from the road on a flag lot surrounded by more traditional suburban homes. It was originally 1,590 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths on a third of an acre lot. We added 1,512 square feet for a total of 3,102 square feet.

"Given the spider-like sculptural roof and scuppers of the original, the home was already a complete thought, with no obvious solution of how to add to the composition, let alone double the interior square footage. Our first design move was to head off the existing downward sloping roof beams mid-span and add a small rear addition along the entire length of the house under a new upward-sloping roof. This opened the dark kitchen and bedrooms with a new higher ceiling while continuing the rhythm of the existing structure and creating a niche for hidden cove lighting where the original beams once ran.

"In addition, since the existing carport and scupper was too low for many modern family cars and no longer met local code for covered parking, we raised the roofline and scupper at the front to create a new carport while also converting a portion of that area into a new sunken family room, consistent with the midcentury vibe of the original.

"Finally, we added a primary bedroom suite tucked behind a new board-formed concrete wall. Taking inspiration from the home’s existing concrete block walls, our addition peeks out behind the new wall—referential but deferential. Despite the addition’s deference, we wanted the roof to have its own distinct character, with the lightness of the clerestory windows balancing the heaviness of the original roofline. Whenever possible, views through the space frame the iconic roof scuppers as they touch down to the ground. The design strategy is to let our modern interventions shine but with the mindset of ‘What would Mr. Green do?’"

Click for more details: dwell.com  

The Forgotten Artisan Behind Frank Lloyd Wright

Ryan Preciado, an artist and carpenter, uncovered the story of Manuel Sandoval, a Nicaraguan artisan whose contributions to 20th-century modernist design were largely forgotten. Preciado's journey began when he was asked to recreate a dining set designed by Rudolph Schindler in the 1930s. As he researched the set, Preciado came across references to Sandoval, a carpenter who had worked with influential figures like Frank Lloyd Wright and Schindler. Sandoval’s work, including furniture and cabinetry for key projects, was important but overlooked in architectural history.

Preciado, inspired by Sandoval's story, created an exhibition called So Near, So Far: Ryan Preciado – Manuel Sandoval at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California. The exhibition features original works by Sandoval, as well as pieces by Preciado that honor him. Among these are stools inspired by Wright's V.C. Morris Gift Shop, and a small box titled Atentamente, reimagining a piece of lore about Sandoval keeping a special pencil given to him by Wright. The show also includes rare ephemera, such as letters showing Wright's exploitative relationship with Sandoval.

Preciado’s work and exhibition aim to bring attention to the marginalized contributions of figures like Sandoval, whose labor and artistry were vital but underappreciated. By reviving Sandoval’s name and legacy, Preciado gives visibility to his important but lost contributions to modernist design. The exhibition has sparked renewed interest in Sandoval, ensuring that his name will no longer fade into obscurity.

Click for more details: hyperallergic.com  

Alden Dow Arbury Residence To Open To Public For First Time Ever

The Dorothy Dow Arbury Residence, a Mid-Century Modern home designed by Alden B. Dow in Midland, Michigan for his sister Dorothy, will be open to the public for guided tours on Saturday, April 26, for the first time in its 85-year history. Located near the Chippewa River in Homer Township, the 15,000-square-foot house, built in 1939, is listed for sale at $2.4 million, including nearly 90 acres of property.

Tours, provided by the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio, will showcase the house’s unique design, including its signature pink color, and its pinwheel layout with four distinct wings. The residence features a stunning dining room with rose-mirrored walls and a ceiling grid of 36 square mirrors, and a panoramic living room with expansive glass walls offering river views.

The house has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with each room featuring vibrant colors. Other highlights include a game room and a lower level originally designed for staff areas. The property also includes barns from when Dorothy and her husband raised Black Angus cattle and Shire horses.

Proceeds from the $40 tours will support the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio’s preservation and educational programs. Pre-registration is required.

Click for more details: ourmidland.com  

A Look At Chicago's Most Endangered Buildings

A preservation group Tuesday released its annual list of notable Chicago properties threatened with decay and possible demolition — including a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home.

The 2025 ranking by Preservation Chicago also includes two crumbling but soaring Gothic Revival churches and stylish holdovers from the city’s industrial past.

In releasing its “Chicago 7” list of properties it deems endangered or in trouble, the group recalled recent preservation wins during an event at the Chicago Architecture Center.

Meanwhile, the 2025 Chicago 7 “spotlights buildings that we feel are in the crosshairs of demolition,” Miller said. “We shouldn’t be squandering these wonderful buildings.”

On the list is the J.J. Walser House, 42 N. Central Ave., a 1903 home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s his only building on the city’s West Side and an example of how he adapted his Prairie School design to produce a more affordable house. The Chicago landmark is one of five of Wright’s Prairie School works in the city.

Preservation Chicago said it has been vacant and unmaintained for six years, with ownership in legal limbo. “Despite admirable temporary enclosure efforts and the clearance of overgrown vegetation by advocacy partners, the entirety of the house requires immediate evaluation and repair,” the group said.

Click for more details: wbez.org