Issue 462 May 7th 2025

Announcements

Pre-Order Journal OA+D V13:N1 :: Coming Soon!

The Journal of Organic Architecture + Design, has been continuously published three times a year since 2013. In that time significant and groundbreaking scholarship has been done on a variety of organic practitioners and their works.

Their team is hard at work on the Spring 2025 issue, which will document the history and preservation effort of Gene Masselink's remarkable painted mural for the Flying Dutchman Bar, formerly of Spring Green, WI.

They've just announced that the spring 2025 issue of the Journal of Organic Architecture + Design, which documents the history and preservation effort of Gene Masselink's remarkable painted mural for the Flying Dutchman Bar, formally of Spring Green, WI, will be available soon!

Eugene Masselink‘s remarkable wall mural, “Heavenly Spheres,” originally located in the Flying Dutchman Bar in Spring Green, WI survived a devastating fire that gutted the Old Post House in 2004. The fire damaged wood mural panels were saved and stored at Taliesin in the Midway Barns for many years, waiting for someone to save them. In the summer of 2022, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation donated the remains of Gene Masselink’s Flying Dutchman mural to the OA+D Archives. OA+D is the designated repository for all Taliesin Associated Architect project files and ephemera. The desired goal of taking over stewardship of the surviving panels was to clean, conserve, and restore as much of the original mural as possible and record its accompanying history.

This 60-page publication features essays by Steve Sikora and Robert Hartmann that examine the history of the Flying Dutchman Bar, the story behind its tragic loss, and an exploration of the design process behind the creation of its Masselink mural. The issue includes never before published vintage photos, drawings, plans, and photo documentation of OA+D's efforts to preserve the original mural as a way to foster a deeper appreciation for Gene Masselink's singular creative talent.

Subscribers to the journal can look forward to their copies arriving to their mailboxes near the end of May. Others can PRE-ORDER this issue HERE and be one of the first to receive it when it does ship.

Or you can give the gift of this issue and more by purchasing an annual subscription to the Journal of Organic Architecture + Design HERE.

The Headlines

Bankruptcy Court Moves To Approve Price Tower Sale To McFarlin

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy reports that the McFarlin Building LLC has closed on the purchase of the Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1952. The building and associated collections were scheduled to be auctioned on May 6 as part of the court-supervised bankruptcy of the previous owner, but no competing qualified bids were received by the bankruptcy trustee. The Conservancy holds a preservation easement protecting the building and certain collection items.

The Conservancy writes: "We look forward to this next chapter for the Price Tower, and to building a strong preservation partnership with its new owners. There is significant work ahead, but the infusion of new financial resources, together with a sustainable business plan, gives us great optimism for the tower’s future.

We've appreciated getting to know the McFarlin team over the last several months, and our conversations have been very positive. We are reassured by their respect for Price Tower’s historic significance and their commitment to honoring our preservation easement. Their creative approach to the reuse of buildings, and the knowledge they have of the regional market, provide a strong foundation for revitalizing this treasured landmark. We are grateful that they are taking on this challenge, and we stand ready to support them with expertise and knowledge as they work to stabilize and preserve the building.

During our easement visit to the building in March, we were able to account for all easement-protected collection items except for those already known to have been removed in early 2024. The collection items currently located in the building are now owned by McFarlin Building LLC. We are separately continuing to explore avenues for reuniting the missing items with the collection, but we cannot comment further on that at this time.

The Price Tower has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of recent challenges. It continues to stand proudly as an exemplar of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design innovation, and an irreplaceable symbol of Bartlesville’s cultural identity. The people of Bartlesville and the broader region deserve a positive outcome for this architectural icon. We are now hopeful that it has a vital future."

Florida Southern Sues Over Roof Leaks In Wright-Designed Chapel

Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, the most historic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s 13 buildings at Florida Southern College, remains a cherished architectural landmark but suffers from significant structural issues.

Recent maintenance efforts, like ceiling plaster repairs, highlight the building's ongoing deterioration, particularly from water infiltration due to a failing roof. The problems stem from Wright’s unconventional designs, nonstandard materials, and Florida’s harsh climate.

A major complication is a lawsuit filed by the college against Tremco CPG, the supplier of the 2011 roof system, alleging faulty materials and inadequate repairs. Tremco denies the claims, citing possible design flaws and other causes.

Despite challenges, the chapel remains in use when possible, with closures for safety. Full restoration is delayed due to the ongoing legal dispute and funding uncertainties. The college continues to pursue grants for preservation, while maintaining the building’s historic integrity remains a complex and costly endeavor.

Franck Bohbot Captures Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

French photographer Franck Bohbot captures the essence of Taliesin West—Frank Lloyd Wright’s experimental desert complex—by emphasizing its interplay of light, material, and form through a cinematic lens.

Built in 1937 in Arizona’s McDowell Mountains, the site was designed as a dynamic architectural laboratory that evolves with its environment. Wright’s use of “desert masonry” and materials like local quartzite, sand, and canvas reflects his organic design philosophy, blending architecture with nature.

Bohbot’s photographs spotlight the tension between natural textures and geometric structures, such as red floors echoing desert sands and steel shadows creating sharp patterns. Interiors like the drafting and music rooms are portrayed with attention to light and intimacy, revealing the human scale and ongoing presence within the space.

Taliesin West remains active today as the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s home, serving as a hub for education and public engagement.

Oberlin’s Frank Lloyd Wright House To Close This Summer For Repairs

The Weltzheimer/Johnson House in Oberlin, Ohio—one of two Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the state open for public tours—will be closed for most of the summer starting in June for roof repairs.

Built in 1949, the house is the first Usonian-style home in Ohio, showcasing Wright’s signature use of natural materials, low ceilings, and angular design. Originally commissioned by Margaret and Charles Weltzheimer, it was later restored by Oberlin College professor Ellen Johnson, who donated it to the college in 1992.

Roof issues due to moisture damage have prompted the current repairs, funded by alumni. The college hopes to reopen the home in the fall.

The other Wright home in Ohio, the Westcott House in Springfield, remains open.

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