Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), is writer, educator, designer, an architect, and creative master of American architecture. He was born June 8, 1867 at Richland Center, Wisconsin, U.S. In the United States, His “Prairie style” became the basis of 20th-century residential design.
In a creative period of 70 years, Wright Lloyd had designed more than 1,000 structures. In architectural movements of 20th century, He played an important role. He influenced the Architects worldwide with his works. That’s Why, Wright got 100s of apprentices in his Taliesin Fellowship.
Lloyd’s philosophy ” organic architecture” was based on designing in harmony with humanity and the environment.
In 1935, His philosophy was exemplified in Fallingwater as “The best all-time work of American architecture
Frank Wright introduced the Prairie School movement of architecture. He envisioned urban planning in United Estate and developed the concept of the Usonian home in Broadacre City.
Wright also designed highly innovative commercial projects including schools, offices, churches, hotels, skyscrapers, and museums etc. He also designed interior elements such as floors, furniture, leaded glass windows, and tableware.
Being a famous writer, Frank Llyod wrote several articles and books.
Because of his work, in 1991, American Institute of Architects recognized Wright as “The Greatest American Architect of all Time”.
In 2019, one of his work selection became a listed World Heritage Site as “The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright”.
Frank Wright was raised in rural Wisconsin and studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin. He employed briefly with Joseph Lyman Silsbee, in Chicago and then at Adler & Sullivan with Louis Sullivan.
In 1893, He opened his own successful Chicago practice. After that in 1898, He had set up a studio in his Oak Park, Illinois home. He became famous at professional front. His was in headlines due to his personal life.
In 1909, He left his first wife Catherine “Kitty” Tobin for Mamah Cheney.
Then again in 1914, when his staff member killed Mamah, her children and others at his Taliesin estate.
Early Life & Education
Frank Wright was born on 8th June, 1867 to William Cary Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones, in the town of Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States.
His father William Wright was an orator, gifted musician, published composer, and preacher. In 1857, his father had been admitted to the bar.
William Wright had been a Baptist minister. In Unitarian faith, he joined his wife’s family.
Anna Lloyd Jones was mother of Wright, was a teacher and a member of the Lloyd Jones clan. Her family was emigrated from Wales to Wisconsin. Her brother Jenkin Lloyd Jones was an important figure in the spread of the Unitarian faith in the Midwest.
Wright was born in a poor family. He was unhappy during his childhood days.
In 1869, His father held pastorates in McGregor, Iowa and Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1871 and in 1874, Weymouth, Massachusetts. Because of financial crisis, The wright family returned to Spring Green. In 1881, his presents separated.
Frank Wright enrolled in Madison High School. In 1886, He took admission as a special student in University of Wisconsin–Madison. He left his school without taking degree. But he worked under Allan D. Conover, a professor of civil engineering.
In 1955, the university presented Wright, then 88 years old, with an honorary doctorate of fine arts.
In 1885,Wright’s uncle Jenkin Lloyd Jones had commissioned the Chicago architectural firm of Joseph Lyman Silsbee to design the All Souls Church in Chicago.
In 1886, the Silsbee firm was commissioned by Jones to design the Unity Chapel as his private family chapel in Wyoming, Wisconsin.
Wright was not officially employed by Silsbee. But he completed draftsman and looked after the interior in Wisconsin.
After finishing the chapel, Wright moved to Chicago.
Career
Frank wright got inspired by Silsbee, a famous sketcher to achieve a mastery of ductile line and telling accent.
Frank Wright got work in the architectural firm of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. In that firm, Frank Lloyd became chief assistant to Sullivan. In June 1889, he got married Catherine Tobin.
During his work under sullivan, he opened his own architectural practice and left Sullivan in 1893.
The first work from the house for W.H. Winslow, was sensational and skillful. It attracted the most influential architect Daniel Burnham in Chicago. They offered to subsidize Frank Wright for further study in Europe to become the principal designer in Burnham’s firm. But Frank Wright refused the offer and worked with dedication to search for a new and appropriate Midwestern architecture.
Being inspired from Frank Lloyd Wright, other young architects also searched in the same way. The trend of searching known as the “Prairie school” of architecture.
By 1900 Prairie architecture was mature, and Frank Lloyd Wright, became its chief practitioner. The Prairie school became famous for the approach used for building modern homes. The Prairie architects discarded elaborate compartmentalization and detailing for bold, plain walls, roomy family living areas, and perimeter heating below broad glazed areas by utilizing mass-produced materials and equipments.
From 1900 to 1910, Frank Wright built around 50 Prairie houses. Those residence displayed a wide, low roof over continuous window bands, challenge the conventional boxlike structure of most houses, and the house’s main rooms flowed together in an uninterrupted space.
During 1901-10, Frank Wright lectured. In 1901, his most famous talk, The Art and Craft of the Machine, was first printed. From 1894 through 1902, His art works were featured in local exhibitions. In 1902, Frank Lloyd built the first masterwork of Prairie school “home of the W.W. Willitses”. Then in 1905 wright traveled to Japan.
By 1905, his practice included group dwellings, apartments and recreation centres. Among his works, The work for churches and business were most remarkable.
In 1904, The administrative block for a mail-order firm in Buffalo, New York, the Larkin Company was erected.
Built on a minimal budget, the small house of worship and attached social centre achieved timeless monumentality.
Unlike various modern architects, Frank Wright took advantage of ornament to define focus.
Europe and Japan
By 1909, Wright got disaffectioned from his wife and came into relationship with his client’s wife, Mamah Cheney. His life damaged his ability to obtain architectural commissions. Also in 1909, Frank Wright started working on his own house near Spring Green, Wisconsin, Taliesin. In September, 1909 he left for Europe.
There he wrote two books that got published in German. A grand double portfolio of his drawings and a smaller but full photographic record of his buildings .
Frank Lloyd produced various beautiful drawing with a draftsman, Taylor Willey, and his eldest son.
By 1911 Wright and his girlfriend Cheney were living at Taliesin. Because of unfavourable publicity, Frank Wright’s career got suffered but he found a few loyal clients such as the Avery Coonleys.
In 1912 Frank Lloyd, designed his first skyscraper, a slender concrete slab.
The Japanese started contacting Frank Wright as an architect for a new Tokyo hotel to be designed in western style for entertaining visitors.
Early in 1913 wright and his girlfriend cheney spent few months in Japan. But after that, Frank Lloyd became occupied in Chicago with the rushed construction of Midway Gardens. The midway gardens was a complex which was planned to include not only open-air dining but also other restaurants, and clubs.
