Born in Wisconsin in 1867, died in Arizona in 1959 at age 91.
Practiced architecture for 70 years.
Considered one of the greatest American architects of the 20th century.
Raised in a modest Welsh family; father was a minister and musician, mother a teacher.
Mother emphasized literature, poetry, philosophy, and music in his upbringing.
At 11, worked on his uncle's farm, where he appreciated the harmony in nature.
Entered the University of Wisconsin in 1885 to study engineering but left after two years.
Career Beginnings
Apprenticed in the office of Joseph Silsby in Chicago in 1887, influenced by architect Richardson.
Silsby's office specialized in picturesque timber houses with shingle roofs.
Exposure to Japanese woodblock prints through Ernest Fennelosa, Silsby's cousin, who was an expert on Japanese art.
Collected woodblock prints, which he later sold to survive financially.
Influences and Style Development
Worked at Adler and Sullivan's office, known for the Chicago School of Architecture.
Sullivan was associated with the principle of "form follows function."
Wright's early projects focused on domestic architecture, becoming Sullivan's right-hand man for dwelling designs.
Urban designs of the time were classical and built of stone, while rural suburbs featured Gothic styles with shingle roofs.
The Oak Park House and Studio
Wright's own house in Oak Park, Chicago, represents his first 10 years of practice.
The house was expanded over time to include a playroom, studio, and garage.
The design incorporated shingle triangle roofs and decorative features.
Fireplace was a central element in his houses.
Designed all aspects of his projects, including furniture, lighting, and gardens.
Architectural Philosophy
American architecture at the turn of the century was a mix of styles with new construction technologies.
Wright critiqued suburban houses as "a box with a fuzzy lid." He advocated for:
Buildings to connect with the ground.
Low roofs with extended eaves for shelter.
Separate sections for servants instead of attics or cellars.
Consideration of Edward Moose's book on Japanese houses.
Departure from Sullivan and Independent Practice
Left Adler and Sullivan in 1893 to start his own practice in Oak Park.
The Chicago Fair of 1893 and its Japanese pavilion influenced American architecture.
Winslow House
First house designed in his own practice.
Influenced by Sullivan and HH Richardson.
Centered around a fireplace inspired by Japanese farmhouses.
Symmetrical front design with an asymmetrical back.
Featured Roman bricks and ornamental stucco.
Low hipped roof with big eaves, a recurring element in his projects.
Exhibition of his works at the Chicago Architectural Club led to more commissions.
Prairie Houses
Designed houses suited for the flat grasslands of the Midwest.
Emphasized open fireplaces, gently sloping roofs, heavy chimneys, and wide overhangs.
Revolutionized American and international house designs.
Robie House as a prime example, featuring fireproof construction and open spaces.
The houses have horizontal lines and extended eaves.
According to Wright, planes parallel to the earth connect the building to the ground.
Non-Residential Buildings
Lockin Building (office building in Buffalo): Took all the services to the four corners of the building which created a single, large interior room.
Unity Temple (Oak Park, Illinois): First concrete monolith with interior light. Frank Lloyd Wright declared that here the exterior wall was no longer to support the overhead structure/ roof.
Travel to Japan
First visited Japan in 1905 which strongly influenced his work.
Began collecting more Japanese prints and taking clients to Japan to buy woodblock prints.
Wright was an ardent admirer of Japanese culture but strongly denied he was influenced by Japanese architecture.
Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
Designed Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, opened an office there (1913-1922).
The hotel survived the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake.
Used Japanese scale and principles in the hotel's design and rooms.
The original building was demolished in 1968 but relocated to Meiji Mura.
Fallingwater
Designed Edgar Kaufmann's house in Mill Run, Pennsylvania.
The Kaufman family rarely used the house.
Each bedroom opens onto a terrace.
The horizontal elements of this house appear to be made of concrete.
Johnson and Son Building
Designed the Johnson and Son administration building.
It's tall, slender mushroom structure.
Organic architecture to him meant concrete cantilever lever.
Guggenheim Museum
Designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Inverted design based on a planetarium car park
*The Visitors were expected to work thier way down a spiral walkway to view exibits.
Other Works and Influences
Designed Geo Gaku and M. Michikan in Tokyo, a school for girls.
Marianne Mahoney rendered Winslow House, influenced by woodblock prints.
Charles Renee Macintosh, Scottish architect, designed leatherback chairs before Wright.