Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright: revolutionary architect, innovator, furniture designer, and wanna-be philosopher. Far and away the most well-known architect of the 20^th century, the American Institute of Architecture calls him the greatest American architect of all time. Born two years after the end of the civil war, FLW lived long enough to see the first satellite launched into space (92 years). He advocated the use of materials native to the surroundings of the particular building, claiming that the building needed to grow from its surroundings. “A building is not just a place to be; it is a way to be.”

With one of my high school classes we visited a number of FLW houses/buildings and learned about his life. Aside from the fact that he ran his personal life into the ground, he seemed to escape from the mold of other famous innovative artists insomuch as he was able to capture the interest, approval and even the admiration of the public.

One FLW house that I was able to visit was Taliesin West. This was his own personal summer house built in the Arizona desert. As was his custom, he built it to blend with the surrounding environment and enhance it, instead of bringing a loud contrast to it. I think this is comparable to Hans Zimmer, who we discussed in class, whose music was meant to supplement the scene rather than steal the scene. Unlike other architects of the day, FLW designed more for aesthetics than he did for efficiency. He claimed “form over function.” He considered himself an artist and his work was art, not construction. He pioneered “organic architecture”, which is basically building while keeping in mind the environment.

A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.