Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the world's most famous and widely recognized designers and architects. Born in Wisconsin in 1867, Wright has been called the greatest American architect by many who admire him and have been inspired by his work. As a child, he grew up with artistic parents. His father was a teacher, public speaker, and even performed work as a lawyer. His mother was a school teacher as well, and always said that he would grow up to build amazing buildings. She bought him a set of blocks when he was in kindergarten, which has been said to become a major influence in his love for architecture. Wright's parents had a difficult time financially, and eventually his parents divorced when he was 14 years old. His father soon left the state of Wisconsin, and was never to be seen by Frank Lloyd Wright again. He became the caretaker for his two sisters and for his mother.
As Frank Lloyd Wright grew older, he ventured out to look for employment. He did not earn a degree as a young adult (later he would earn one in 1955), but he did attend college. He traveled to Chicago in search of a job, and he soon found a job working for an architectural firm owned by a man named Joseph Sislbee. While employed there, he helped work on several projects including a chapel in his hometown, the All Souls Church in Chicago, and other buildings including schools. He was paid approximately $8 per week while working for Silsbee. While working there, he longed to create more avant-garde, unique buildings and began to seek employment with a new firm.
Wright soon worked with a new firm called Adler and Sullivan when they called for assistance in developing the interior of the Auditorium Building. While working there, Wright was not getting along with his fellow employees. He was still a valued employee, and began to work closely side by side with a man named Paul Mueller. In 1889 he married his first wife Catherine Tobin. During his time with Adler and Sullivan, Wright worked on several projects including Sullivan's personal townhouse. He had earned a handsome salary, but still struggled financially because of his desire for finer clothing and other luxuries. His architectural style exhibited this, with a true emphasis on the aesthetic aspect of buildings. Many of the homes he designed had cantilevered ceilings, detailed stonework, and other beautiful accents. Despite this, Wright was unhappy with his employment at the firm, and felt as if his superiors treated him in a hostile manner. He soon left and decided to create his own architectural practice.
During Frank Lloyd Wright's transitional period, he began to develop two basic formats for his architecture. One style focused on simple, clean lines and the other style was more traditional and included Dutch colonial types of homes. The William H. Winslow House is a good example of his early modern styled works. By the year 1901, Frank Lloyd Wright had helped to design over fifty different projects. A type of home called "prairie style" was pioneered by Wright and his team. This style was named because the homes were designed to compliment the land surrounding the Chicago area. They were roomy with large, clean lines and had sloping roofs, overhangs, terraces, and long narrow windows. The purpose for this was to connect indoors with outdoors, and bring nature into the home so that it flowed seamlessly. Many believe these homes are the foundation of modern architecture.
Frank Lloyd Wright had six children with his wife Catherine, and she spent most of her time with them. He soon became known as a womanizer, and met a woman named Mamah Cheney. They eventually left the US and eloped in Europe, even though Wright's wife Catherine refused to grant him a divorce. This personal scandal made it difficult for Wright to complete any more architectural projects within the United States. In August of 1914, after Wright had returned to Chicago to work, a male servant set fire to his home and murdered seven people with an axe, including Mamah. Frank Lloyd Wright married again in 1923 then divorced in 1927. His third and final wife and he were married in 1928.
Aside from Chicago, Frank Lloyd Wright built several homes in the Los Angeles area. The Hollyhock House is one of his most famous, and is open to the public today. A new method of building called the textile block system took shape, where Wright took several large concrete blocks and put them together to create a clean, modern look. Soon he graduated to a more organic style of architecture, incorporating nature with building. Perhaps one of this most highly acclaimed works is the Fallingwater House, which was built in Pennsylvania in 1937. This home incorporates a waterfall with the home. Another example of his organic style is Graycliff near Buffalo, New York, and Taliesin West. Taliesin West was Wright's winter home and studio, and is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. It is also open to the public for tours. Another popular style of home were the Usonian houses. These homes were designed for the middle class and had no basement. They were often made of wood siding and building paper, and were built on slabs.
While much of Frank Lloyd Wright's work is revered by fans of architecture all over the world, no other work he designed holds quite the influence like the Guggenheim Museum in New York. This amazing feat is a shining example of some of his finest work. It took him 16 years to complete the museum and is one of the most widely recognized buildings in the world. Price Tower in Oklahoma is another of his more recent works and is one of only two high-rise structures that he can be credited with. Frank Lloyd Wright built and designed over 400 different homes and other structures. As of 2005, 300 remain. Many of the others were lost due to natural disasters or fires. In 1959, he had an intestinal obstruction and underwent surgery. While under the knife, he died. The date was April 9, 1959. His wife Olga ran the fellowship until her death in 1985. Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy of creativity and genius in architecture will live on in the many wonderful and often whimsical buildings he designed.
For more information about Frank Lloyd Wright, please refer to the following websites:
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation – Organization dedicated to educating others about Wright and his works.
- Wright on the Web – A virtual look at the architect's many amazing buildings.
- Reviews – A few timely reviews of some of his works from Newsweek and other sources.
- About – This website has a large wealth of information about Wright's works and life.
- Oak Park – Home to the largest collection of Wright's buildings and homes, this site is a guide through Oak Park.
- Save Wright – This organization works to saving and preserving the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Guggenheim – Information about the architecture of one of the most famous buildings in the world.
- Fallingwater – Explore one of the most famous and interesting homes ever built by Frank Lloyd Wright.
- Prairie Style Homes – Take a look at some examples of Wright's prairie style homes and see what made them unique.
- Buildings & Bio – This website has links to many of Wright's buildings as well as a brief biography.
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