IAR RR 10: The Early Work of Frank Lloyd Wright

     Frank Lloyd Wright is arguably the most famous American architect in history.  Wright began his career during the Arts and Crafts movement begun by William Morris in England, and was a major pioneer of the movement in the United States.  While he differed from the English movement in several areas, he was a major believer in the idea that all aspects of a home had to stem from the same idea, that all areas of the house should be part of a whole.  This idea became a sort of calling card for Wright, as all of his works revolved around a central theme. 

     Wright was also an advocate of the Prairie House movement, an school of thought first fully embodied in the Ward Willits House in Illinois.  Wright took advantage of the large lot and built the house outwards from a central chimney.  The public rooms on the main floor of the house--such as the living and dining rooms--are separated only by thin panels, and the house as a whole is inspired by Japanese architecture. 

     But while the Ward Willits House was the first representation of the Prairie House school of thought, Wright's Robie House is the finest.  When he designed the house, Wright "elevated" the house, putting the main living level on the upper floor instead of on the bottom.  Again, Wright emphasizes the horizontal by spreading the house out over a large area.  On the interior, the main living space is one long room divided only by a freestanding fireplace.  In constructing the house, Wright deviated from the English Arts and Crafts movement by using machine-made steel to support the roof (he believed that machines were necessary for production).  He also designed all the furniture in the house, creating a final product that was completely his.  The Robie House became a source of inspiration for European architects, and even today stands as one of the most well-designed homes in the world.

Final Thoughts:
--While he adhered to much of the beliefs of the Arts and Crafts movement, Frank Lloyd Wright (correctly) believed that the advent of machines would become central to design, and encouraged fellow architects to embrace them.
--The Ward Willits House, designed and built 1900-1902, combined traditional Japanese architecture and the concept of outward expansion.
--The Robie House (1908-1909) was designed to create a sense of unity with the earth, utilizing both exaggerated horizontal lines and a natural color scheme to achieve this end.

Image Sources:
http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2009/06/if_youre_a_fan_of_frank_lloyd.html
http://www.delmars.com/wright/flw8-3.htm
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/377345
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright