Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect who became world-renowned for his revolutionary and unique design style in the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth century. Wright’s work included both his famous private residences and notable public use buildings. His career began in Chicago and spanned over half a century, with buildings designed by him populating major American cities as well as suburban and rural areas.
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| Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY) |
Wright’s design style falls under what an observer today would classify as mid-century modern. Wright’s version of the style often features smooth surfaces and boxy, angular forms, with emphasis on width rather than height especially for personal residences. Wright was an early pioneer of this style and was a major cause for its popularization during his career.
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| Wright's personal residence (Scottsdale, AZ) . |
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| Robie House (Chicago, IL). |
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| Gordon House (Silverton, OR). |
The design philosophy behind Wright’s creative process connects to Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act, A Way of Being, due to how the architect incorporated respect and observation of nature into his buildings. Wright dubbed his building’s relationship with nature as organic architecture, where he sought to incorporate the principles of nature into his work in order to blend the structure with its surrounding environment and create a seamless shared space between the seemingly separate spheres. Many of Wright’s constructions represent his school of thinking, where materials for the structures match the surrounding landscape, incorporate large amounts of natural light, and use open interior spaces to mirror open outdoor spaces.
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| Marin County Civic Center (San Rafael, CA). Skylights shine sunlight onto a large, open three-floor concourse. |
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| Fallingwater (Mill Run, PA). A naturally-occurring waterfall runs underneath and 'out of' the house. |
Like Wright, Rubin advocates for the study of nature to inform creativity. In the chapter Nature as Teacher, Rubin notes that the largest bounty of inspiration for any creator is the natural world. Through observing the rich tapestry of intersecting processes in the natural world, Rubin argues that a person can be inspired to express themselves, as their expressions will invariably reflect the natural world that they are a part of. Wright’s philosophy is intrinsically similar to Rubin’s, as the architect sought to express his designs as a piece of nature, intertwined with the world around each building. '
Links:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/stunning-examples-of-organic-architecture
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/frank-lloyd-wright/essay-organic-architecture
https://franklloydwright.org/frank-lloyd-wright/
https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/frank-lloyd-wright
Images:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robie_House
https://franklloydwright.org/seven-hidden-gems-frank-lloyd-wrights-usonian-period/
https://franklloydwright.org/peek-inside-7-iconic-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings/
https://www.guggenheim.org/about-us/architecture/frank-lloyd-wright-and-the-guggenheim
Hi Danny! I really enjoyed your blog post and appreciate your insight on Frank Lloyd Wright’s creative process. I think you chose the perfect pictures to show Wright’s desire to reflect nature, and I loved seeing the variation in his work!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been a fan of Wright’s for a while. While I knew his buildings could look very different depending on their location, I’d never heard that they incorporate materials from the surrounding landscape and attempt to blend into the environment. Now that you mention it, I see how his buildings mirror elements of the natural world, making his work much more creative and incredible.
It was interesting to read that Wright and Rick Rubin formed creative ideas by drawing inspiration from their everyday lives. Hearing how such remarkable creatives focus on the mundane to generate their ideas is somewhat unexpected. Their ability to constantly create innovative projects that feel new while reflecting elements deeply familiar to us is profoundly inspiring and remarkable. I’ll keep their creative process in mind as I source creative inspiration.
Great creative! I have known about Frank Lloyd Wright for a while now and my family and I have actually visited many of his homes—I even have a a book of build-your-own Frank Lloyd Wright models. I love his focus on width over height as it definitely feels more in-tune with the surrounding natural space. This driving aspect of Wright's designs is so captivating to me because it contributes to the connectivity of his structures with each other but also with the entire environment. Thanks for bringing us into the creativity of this great architect! I'll have to make some more of those paper models ;)
ReplyDeleteAs someone who is not particularly familiar with architecture or many famous architects, it was interesting to read this blog post and compare it to the documentary we watched in class on Frank Gehry. It seems like Frank Lloyd Wright preferred to blur the line between "inside" and "outside", drawing much of his inspiration from the nature surrounding his structures. Frank Gehry seemed to have a nearly opposite approach, often creating structures that stuck out from their surroundings quite clearly. While their final products differed greatly, I think it is interesting that both of their inspirations lied in organic matter and natural shapes. It shows how two people can look at the same thing and see two completely different pictures.
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