Frank Lloyd Wright's Role in Architecture Development - Essay Example

Running Head: Wright, Frank Lloyd The Role Played by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Development of Modern Architecture of Institution] The Role Played by Frank Lloyd Wright in the Development of Modern Architecture Introduction and Background A number of definitions exit for the term 'Architecture' of these probably and the broadest is the one that it encompasses all buildings. The science and art of the buildings practiced by the artists may be referred to as the architects.1Or buildings themselves may mean architecture. The historical prospects, cultures or artistic movements may also be reflected by the term, for instance when we refer to the Gothic or Greek architectures. 2 This paper places particular attention to probably one of the greatest architects Frank Lloyd Wright. A Brief Life History Richard Center, Wis., was his birth place, on the 8th of June, 1867. When he was sixteen his father abandoned his family, and as his mother was a strong woman, she had already decided even before his birth that he would become an architect. At the age of eighteen, Wright got admitted into the University of Wisconsin; however he was dropped before two years.3 Then he worked for Chicagoan architect James Lyman Silsbee, where he stayed only for few months. And later as he was employed by Sullivan and Adler, he was highly influenced by Sullivan's work that is now recognized as the first modern architect of America. One the prominent theory of Sullivan, which summed up his experience and knowledge was "form follows function," which meant that buildings design determine their use.4 However, it appeared quite far-reaching then, but was Wright accepted this by his 'Master'. Wright continued for five years with Sullivan where he worked as a designer and a draftsman. He designed the Charnely House, 1891 and worked for the greatest of the Sullivan buildings Chicago. He designed his own house in Oak Park in 1889. 5Later in 1893, to start his own practice in Chicago and Oak Park, he left Sullivan and Adler. Then he went for a year to Europe, form where upon his return he went to an inherited farmhouse in Spring Green, Wis., where he built the Taliesin, the farmhouse in 1911. Later in 1915, in Tokyo Japan he built the Imperial Hotel, thereafter until its construction in 1922 he stayed in Japan.6 Architectural Work Due to his creativity and a longer period for which he lived and worked, historians have divided his work into three divisions, i.e. the early period from 1893 to 1910, later the mature period between 1910 and 1945 and lastly the later period extending from 1945 to the year 1959.78 Early Period In the initial period of his work and practice, Wright mainly designed apartment buildings, and houses in Oak Park, Ill and Chicago and near townships. Although these buildings didn't actually indicated the pattern he was to follow later, but they represented great design and detail and were quite analogous to the forms of those designed by most of the educational and experimental designers.9 However, in 1902, he built the Willits House which contributed to his career, which reflected the signs of the themes he built in his later creations. More specifically, they had exteriors which were low and had wide overhangs and hipped roofs these themes later turned out to be recognized as the Prairie Houses or Style which were one of his identities. The Martin House built in 1904 in Buffalo, N.Y., and the Heurtley House at Oak Park in 1902, were significant in this particular style.10 Moreover one of his greatest creations was the Larkin Company Administration Building in Buffalo in 1904, which was the first of his masterpieces. Not only the design and level of detail were not only significant, but the its interior entrance hall; and the use of air conditioning and plate glass, were of considerable attention then, though it's quite common in houses today, and also the, however this building was demolished in 1905. Soon afterwards he created a number of masterpieces of the Prairie Style; of these significant were the Robie House in Chicago (1909),11 referred to as the best of the Prairies and also the Unity Temple at Oak Park (1907). The Coonley House in 1909, Riverside, Ill, was another important structure. Period of Maturity This begins with Wrights designing of his own house at Spring Green farmhouse, the Taliesin in 1911; this was followed by other fine residential structures. Then he designed a great decorative indoor-outdoor amusement center, Midway Gardens in Chicago (1914), which was later demolished in 1929. In 1915 he rebuilt the Taleisin as it was burned. Later the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan which took about more than six years to be built i.e. from 1916 to 1922, received a considerable amount of his attention. It was demolished in 1968 as it has survived a number of earthquakes and due to other issues.12 13 A number of houses were also designed by Wright in the United States, out these some used the experimental custom designed concrete blocks, which were then and are still considered as quite ordinary. The Ennis House and Freeman House, both of them in Los Angeles, completed in 1924; the Barnsdall House in Los Angeles built in1920 and the Millard House completed in 1923 at Pasadena, Calif., were some if the noteworthy examples of his work.14 Again, in 1925, the Taliesin was rebuilt in a considerable modified form by Wright.15 A famous structure referred to as the 'Falling Water' i.e. the Edgar Kaufman House, near to Bear Run; Pa. was designed by Wright 1973. The waterfall of this structure received particular attention, as this was one of the very finest if his structures.16 A newer style of houses was introduced by Wright, during this period known as the 'Usonian' style and these were as radical as the earlier Prairie Houses. A significant feature of these houses was there small size and compactness and the modular system that wasn't usual then; particularly the other modern characteristics were the piping for water heating, incorporated into concrete slab flooring and especially the wooden sandwich panels were noteworthy that were manufactured at site and then planted into houses.17 For some following years he continued with designing more of these, each having some or the other forms of enhancements. Then came two more masterpieces that were the Johnson Wax Company Administration Building in 1939 at Racine, Wis, and the Taliesin West again redesigned at his demise. In 1938 he designed his first master plan i.e. the Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Fla.18 This continued for another sixteen years as the first building was built the same year which was followed by other nine thus completing in 1954. A number of houses were built by Wright in 1930's and also while the Second World War was going on. The marvelous Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum at New York City was designed by Wright in 1943, however unfortunately it took fifteen years before it was completed.19 Later Period Wright's later period i.e. the last period when he was aged 78, was of significant attention as he was quite busy during the last years of his life. A commission led to another masterpiece that was the Johnson Wax Company Laboratory Tower in 1949. The Price Company Tower built in 1953, which was his first and only high-rise office building, in Bartlesville, Okla, the Unitarian Church (1947), Madison, Wis., were other noteworthy structures during these last years. In 1956, eventually, assembly began on his Guggenheim Museum; also active were the Beth Sholom Synagogue, Elkins Park, Pa., and his Kalita Humphreys Theater, Dallas. All were completed in the year Wright died, 1959. Subsequent to his death, a number of Wright-designed accommodations and other constructions were built, with essential architectural services carried out by his descendants from the Taliesin Associated Architects. The Marin County Civic Center (1962), in San Rafael, Calif., was the last major building.20 The Japanese Influence As during his professional life Wright spent considerable amount of time in Japan, the Japanese architecture had a particular effect on his work. It was a compound of buildings which represented the twelfth, sixteenth and eighteenth century styles of architecture known as the Japanese Ho-o-den, which attracted Frank Lloyd Wright. In these structures the Columbian effect, with distinctive rooflines of the Japanese structures were considerable. Themes represented by these styled of buildings were discussed in great detail by Wright in local newspaper the Oak Reporter. Moreover, as especially the Ho-o-den was of particular interest he extracted from this the deep, overhanging roof lines in his further designs, that protected the verandah with white stucco exterior outlined by a dark wooden trim. These particular features of the Japanese architecture were notably reflected in his Prairie Style houses.21 The Prairie Style Houses The architectonics of the Prairie Style were typified by definite parallel lines and stacks, auxiliary perpendicular forms and the solicitous use of usual construction supplies, amalgamated into what is Wright called an Organic Architecture (Gutheim). The Prairie house was purposeful and serene, envisioned as a realistic interrelated whole, down to the incorporation of landscape tactics and furnishings.22 These farsighted houses and structures characterized an essential association between the location and the formation, the sketch and the elevation, the internal spaces and the architectural volumes (Brooks). It recommended the consistencies of woods and stones, such as limestone and granite or oak and pine, found in profusion in the Midwest. The external portico developed into hard foundations and extensive beams, impersonating the white oak's scattering branches, with daylight and shadow dappling the bark like planes of the brick and stucco walls.23 The Prairie Style familial structural design featured vast interior spaces, room-groups that stretched as the observer partakes in the understanding of unforeseen spatial consciousness. Spaces combined and became runny, warming floor plans. Rooms were lesser in number than in housing plans of the past, but were more practically accommodating of family life and societal events. The features of the supplies became part of the architectural syntax; the profound consistency of pigmented plaster, the tainted speck of rough sawn wood, shimmering art glass grilles, and the cadence of brick paths became the standard medium of architectural design in this new genus.24 The Marine Civic Centre The Marine Civic Center was one of his greatest creations that were built in the last years of his life. The creations of the Marine Civic Centre is analogous to as many of the Wright's designs, and includes many of his trademarks. The construction is straightforward, of steel armored concrete. Basic erection is pre-cast; pre-stressed floorboards systems strutted over erect sustain posts. The non-supporting exterior is cement stucco on metal laths. The structure is designed to weaken the impacts of the earthquakes.25 It was his last project. Wright died on April 9, 1959. References Birkerts, Gunnar. 1994. Process and Expression in Architectural Form. Norman University of Oklahoma Press. Cadwell, Mike. 2007. Strange details. MIT Press. Collins, Peter & Frampton, Kenneth. 1998. Changing Ideals in Modern Architecture. McGill-Queen's University Press. Cynthia A. Melendy. 1999. Frank Lloyd Wright's Marin Civic center. A thesis presented to the Faculty of California State University Dominguez Hills. Dissertation Abstracts International Fisher, Thomas R. 2000. In the Scheme of Things: Alternative Thinking on the Practice of Architecture. University of Minnesota Press. George, Sekna K.1996. Insights in Architecture. The Technology Teacher. Feb, 1996. Gerfen, Katie. (2005).New Dean for Taliesin." Architecture; the AIA journal. 01 Sep 2005. 20. eLibrary. Proquest CSA. Robinson Secondary Sch. http://elibrary.bigchalk.com (accessed March 25, 2009) Henry Hitchings. 2009. Heart of glass: The Domestic Misadventures of Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Financial Times. London. UK, March 14, 2009. P. 17 Hersey, G. L., and Marvin Trachtenberg. Architecture. World Book Online Reference Center. http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Articleid=ar028740 (accessed March 25, 2009) Kellert, Stephen R. 2005. Building for Life: Designing and Understanding the Human-Nature Connections. Island Press. Martin-Moore, Rosemary. Building with Nature. Green Teacher. 01 Oct 2007. 24. eLibrary. Proquest CSA. Robinson Secondary ScH. http://elibrary.bigchalk.com> (accessed March 29, 2009) Menocal, Narciso G.&Wright, Frank Lloyd. 1992. Taliesin 1911-1914. Carbondale Southern Illinois University Press Pamela, Kay Vann. 1998. The Influence of Japanese Architecture on the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Dissertation Abstracts International Robie House. 2009.Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Grolier Online http://gme.grolier.com/cgi-bin/articleassetid=0248670-0 (accessed March 25, 2009). Smith, G. E. Kidder. 1996. Source Book of American Architecture. Princeton Architectural press. Stephen, Nathan K. (2009). All the Wright Reasons. EventDV. Wilton: Jan 2009. Vol. 22, Iss. 1; pg. 6. Suzanne, Marie Watkins. 2003. The Harmonics of Space: Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Interiors 1895-1910. Dissertation Abstracts International Twombly, Robert C. 1979. Frank Lloyd Wright, His Life and His Architecture. New York John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (US). Unwin, Simon. 1997. Analysing Architecture. Routledge Wright, John Lloyd. & Wright, Frank Lloyd. 1994. My Father Who Is On Earth. Carbondale Southern Illinois University Press. Read More