May 16th, 2011
Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect
Frank Lloyd Wright is the greatest figure in 20th-century architecture. There, we said it; and we don’t hear anyone disagreeing with us.
A revered and renowned architect, a pioneer of modernism and the creator of the principle of organic architecture – maintaining that a building should develop out of its natural surroundings – Frank Lloyd Wright displayed the boldest of originality and rebelled against the ornate styles of his predecessors. He was a firm believer in meticulously selecting building materials to maximize a structure’s functionality. His exteriors emphasized the beauty of natural colors and textures and his interiors emphasized the freedom of spaciousness. Though his genius is clear in hindsight, Frank Lloyd Wright wasn’t celebrated by all back in his day; more conventional architects often slammed his unorthodox methods and at one point, the relentless antagonism sent him into exile in Europe. However, upon his return he created some of his most notable works: the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, an engineering feat; the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, a curvilinear masterpiece; and the Fallingwater residence at Bear Run, Pennsylvania, a clear favorite of even the most jaded architecture buffs. If that wasn’t enough, Frank Lloyd Wright also created heirloom quality furniture pieces worthy of the finest modern homes.
Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania (1937)
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February 9th, 2010
The results are in!
We asked our Facebook Fans and our Twitter Followers what famous architect or designer they would want to meet, past or present and here is the list of the architects that we received. It is really impossible to sum up any one of these architects, but we’ve done our best to give readers a brief snapshot of their lives and their work. Feel free to comment below with your choice, or to Tweet us your favorite or respond on Facebook!
Frank Lloyd Wright
1. Frank Lloyd Wright - It is no surprise here that Frank Lloyd Wright was chosen more times than any other designer OR architect. As one of the most famous and glamorous architects in the United States with over 1,000 works and 500 completed works all across the country bringing droves of visitors year after year, Frank Lloyd Wright has left his mark on the country.
While it wasn’t noted by anyone in particular, there is something about Frank’s actual life story that also intrigues people. Frank did live a tumultuous life that was unpredictable as he did what he wanted without a care which you could see in his work and his personal life.
Frank left his wife and six children to take up with a client’s wife, Mamah Cheney, which was a very scandalous relationship for those days. They traveled across Europe before settling down in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Mamah, her two children, and four others were murdered later by Frank’s male servant from Barbados while Frank was working in Chicago. The killer, Julian Carlton, set fire to Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate, and attacked the people escaping the fire with an axe. His life was then filled with more marriages & divorces, a wife with a morphine addiction, custody battles and even a long term marriage with his last wife whom he was with until he passed in 1959. Frank led an extremely interesting life, and he never retired, working until he passed at the age of 91.
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