Re: Frank Lloyd Wright?

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From: petrilli@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Christopher G. Petrilli)
Newsgroups: alt.architecture
Subject: Re: Frank Lloyd Wright?
Date: 28 Aug 1993 10:25:27 -0500
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In article <25nqh6INNir8@xxxxxxx> sod@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>From article <25ljon$7qq@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, by Ken Gianino
<gianino@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:
>> I've recently become interested in the residential designs of Frank Lloyd
>> Wright from the late 30's to early 50's (his "Usonian" homes). While
>> I've found literally shelves of books about F.Ll.W. (and they are very
>> interesting), I can't quite determine if his "organic" style of
>> architecture has survived intact or evolved into anything still unique.
>> I've read that after his death (1959), his students formed the Taliesin
>> Associated Architects and completed many of his projects. The newest
>> information I've found on them is 27 years old, and I wonder if they are
>> still in existence. Are there any Frank Lloyd Wright educated architects
>> still practicing?
>
>The "Fellowship" at Taliesin is indeed still active as both a school and
>an architectural practice. They operate out of Taliesen East and West -
>East being in Spring Green, Wisconsin, West being in Arizona, I think.
>In terms of their work recently, I believe that they are acting as a consultant
>for the construction of Monona Terrace, a Wright-designed convention center,
>on the orginally intended site in Madison, Wisconsin. They also, somewhat
>inexplicably, updated Kohler, Wisconsin (a famous planned, industrial
community)

Taliesen West is in Scottsdale, AZ. I believe that they still allow
tours (as of last check), and that would be a good palce to start.

>In terms of the continuation, and evolution, of Wright's legacy I would
>highly recommend that you look to E. Fay Jones' work. He practices
>in Arkansas and he was recently awarded the AIA's Gold Medal. He is
>most famous for very elegant timber structures, e.g. Thorncrown Chapel,
>that integrate themselves perfectly into heavily wooded sites.

I am basically of the opinion that other than a few of the remaining
deciples of FLlW, there are no architects in this country that practice
in anything resembling the "style" that Wright expoused. Perhaps that
is what he inteded. I don't believe he ever wanted clones of him
practicing (..how could the "Greatest architect of the past, present and
future ever be duplicated? he might say). If the current trend in
architecture is any indication of whether Wright was a lone genius or
the intiate of a new "style," I would have to say the former. I believe
there is more "bad architecture" (at least from a Wrightian perspective)
being built now than ever before.

While books are helpful in understanding what Wright was working on
(though I think he was a MUCH better architect than he ever was a
writer), the "fastest" way to grasping Wright's ideas on space and
integration of the person into housing and industry would best be met by
visiting what you can of his. I would include the following homes:

Fallingwater (how could you not? :-)
Wingspread
Taliesin (East and West)
Nathan G. Moore Residence
Frederick C RObie Residence
The Dana-Thomas Residence
Meyer May Residence
Charles Ennis Residence
Honeycomb House (Paul R Hanna Residence)
David Wright House
Benjamin Adelman Residence
Norman Lykes Residence

It is sad that today we consider "architecture" to be the rehashing of
ideas---rather than the introduction of new ones and the integration of
the person rather than the principal.

Chris

"

--
| Chris Petrilli
| petrilli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, petrilli@xxxxxxxxxxxxx __
| You think anyone else wants MY thoughts? \/
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