Influence of Frank Lloyd Wright - Essay Example

Introduction America has had influential men who shaped its history in varying ways. Among these great men is Frank Lloyd Wright who was a renowned architect and writer of the 20th century. He was born in Richland center town, Wisconsin in 1867 to a family of scholars (Wright 7). Wright left the university after three years of study in engineering and moved to Chicago to pursue his architectural career. Due to his love for nature, Wright designed structures that were in accord with humanity and the environment. In fact, he developed the philosophy of organic architecture or simply natural architecture which was to act as a weapon to fight against nature destruction. Wright was also a proficient educator who advocated for the respect of humanity and the natural environment. His works have remained unique for many years and in 1991 he was crowned the greatest American architect of all times. Wright spent over seventy years creating designs that changed the art and architectural arena of the 20th century. Till his death in 1959, Wright devoted all his energy in improving and developing his career and this made him gain recognition in the American architectural history. Contributions of Frank Lloyd Wright to the architectural history Wright is remembered for his great contribution to the development of ‘prairie school’ of architecture which he became the principal practitioner in 1900. Prairie school gained wide recognition for its radical approach to the construction of modern homes. This brought a total change in the America’s architectural field and the entire construction fraternity (Alofsin 49). Wright -designed apartments exhibited low roof over continuous widow bands that turned corner which were unique from the tradition convectional boxlike structures. His works for business and church are among the most remarkable structures in architectural history that have remained incomparable up to date. For instance, In 1994 Wright erected the Larkin Company administration block which was well ventilated, had metal desk, fireproof and well condition. Soon after its completion, he erected yet another unique structure at the Unitarian church of Oak Park which was later registered as a historic landmark. LaFontaine and Wright (50) argues that during his seventy years in the architectural career, Wright created over one thousand designs which included recreation complexes, commercial buildings, religious houses and museums among others. In fact, Wright redefined our concept of space, providing all people with an opportunity to live in fresh environment integrated in the natural world. Essentially, Wright was not only involved in the architectural field but only did other works such as designing furniture, art glass, fabrics and many others. Consequently, he wrote twenty books and several articles during his career, in fact, many historians describe him as a jack of all trades. Wright was a staunch advocate of democracy form of government and this made him to strive throughout his life to craft novel architecture that reflected on social equality and respect for the human race. His aim was solely to differentiate the American system of governance from other systems of governance in the world such as renaissance style through architecture. His works gained steadfast recognition for the rich use of native materials and his strong belief that buildings develop naturally from their adjacent environment. Personal attributes Wright had great confidence in himself and his work was based on his various principles. For instance, he believed that simplicity and repose are qualities which determine the exert value of any art. This strong belief made him work extra hard in improving and developing new architectural designs that would fit with nature. Wright was an intelligent and ambitious man and believed that there should exist as many architectural designs just as the number of people present in a country. He also proposed that there should be different designs just as people are different and this pushed him to developing over a thousand different designs. His love for nature is another important attribute that aided him in bringing an impact in the architectural field. Periods of Frank Lloyd Wright works Wright’s architectural works can be grouped in three distinct periods which are; the period between 1983 and World War 1, the period between World War 1 to mid 1930s and lastly the period between late 1930s up to his death .In the first period, Wright was based in the Midwest where he introduced the prairie housing style. These buildings were characterised by low-pitched roofs with broad eaves. The prairie house period culminated when he left Oak Park in 1909. His relocation to Japan marked the commencement of the second period of his career. This period was characterised by varying building designs, for instance, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and various textile block houses in California. The designs were unique in that such structures had never existed in any other part of the world. In essence, Wright’s architectural works raised the American name in the world architectural field. During this period Wright inspired many young architects who later joined the Taliesin Fellowship especially after he wrote an autobiography in 1932 (McCarter 120). Wright formed the Taliesin Fellowship with an aim of promoting artistic endeavor and mentoring young architects. In this period, Wright emerged with large and unique projects such as the Usonian houses which earned him more popularity. The last period of his career, Wright embarked on residential designing till his death. Wright had a great passion for his career and in one of his writings he argues that a building is a way to be and not just a place to be. Conclusion Frank Lloyd Wright played a great role in reshaping the architectural and building practice in the 20th century. Over the years, no architect has ever showed great love for nature and humanity like Wright did. It took Wright a notable fortune to balance between his career and care for the natural environment. Passion is a fundamental determinant in developing an individual’s career and impacting positive change in the area of occupation. We should always be driven by passion in our careers to bring notable impact. Works cited: Alofsin, Anthony. Frank Lloyd Wright: Europe and beyond. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, cop. 1999. Print. LaFontaine, Bruce and Wright, Frank. Famous buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright. Minoela, N.Y.: Dover Publications. 1996. Print. McCarter, Robert. Frank Lloyd Wright. London: Reaktion Books. 2006. Print. Wright, Frank. Frank Lloyd Wright: an autobiography. Petaluma: Pomegranate.2005. Print. Read More