Book Description

America's most famous architect was obsessed with small houses. Even though this exciting aspect of his work has been long overlooked, the truth is that Frank Lloyd Wright spent most of his career addressing the problems of houses intended for individuals or small families of modest means. In the only book on the master architect to focus on "the house of moderate cost," Wright expert Diane Maddex takes the reader inside a selection of his small houses from across the country, turning the spotlight on Wright's ingenious solutions to make these homes look and feel large. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great pictures. Terrible text.
I think the premise of the book is right on target. FLW best work was in his small houses. They are much harder to design, build and were done so on a tight budget. The pictures of the houses in the book are fantastic. They are current day pictures versus pictures taken 10 or 20 years ago.

The text is not well written. Could have done a better job.

inspiring
The pictures and text boxes do a terrific job of explaining the reasons that Wright's architecture works. The themes of unity, making walls disappear with windows, use of natural materials and building for the site can be applied to many architectural styles, not just the prarie style he is known for ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Excellent in both pictures and words
The primary appeal in this book is the photo collection. While the accompanying text throughout is quite interesting, I think most people will buy it for the pictures. And excellent pictures they are.

For buildings that still exist, the authors/editors took brand new photographs specifically for this book. You would be hard pressed to find similar quality photographs anywhere else.

However, if you are interested in an introductory reading on Wright's work, you won't be disappointed. The reading level seems to be geared towards someone who already knows who Wright is, but is not familiar with his lesser known works, or with the details of his life and of architecture. The authors did a splendid job of placing Wright's work in the context of the time and place, and highlighting that which is fundamentally American about both. From the insight on Wrights life and works, you will learn not only about some of the foremost icons of American architecture, but also about American culture itself. The passion the authors have for Wrights work really shows through in every page, both through photographs and text.

I read every single word and closely examined every single photo. I can promise that if you're honestly interested in learning about Wright's work, as well as his place in history and culture, you will not be sorry you bought this book.

The Master Guide to Wright's Greatest Works!
I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture for over 30 years, and have seen many of his finest buildings. No book that I have seen in those years is as good as this one for explaining his life, the development of his architectural style, providing the details of his best work, and showing stunning photographs of exteriors, interiors, and views. If you only buy one book about Mr. Wright, I suggest this one. I have it with me tonight as I begin a one week pilgrimage to his finest work in the midwest. Each night, I will reread the sections about the works that I will be seeing the next day.

The book would be worth buying, just for the photography alone. For those buildings that still exist, brand new color images were made. These are so magnificently reproduced that they actually exceed the appearances of the originals! I don't know of another book of architectural photography where I could make the same statement. It is as though you are seeing the scenes in Wright's eye, as the pure forms that he was seeking to reproduce. Also, you get lots of images. For example, the home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois section displays 10 large color photographs. Naturally, for the buildings that do not still exist, you have only historical photographs, some in black and white. But these are very fine, as well.

Most books with wonderful photographs usually have limited essays. Masterworks is the happy exception. The essays are clear, thoughtful, and extensive. Yet they tie together to tell the story of Mr. Wright's development. So, they are more like chapters in a book rather than stand-alone essays that such books usually inspire. I was particularly pleased with the information about the materials and building methods that Mr. Wright experimented with and used at various stages of his career.

As wonderful as the photographs and essays are, what made the book special for me were the many draft sketches and conceptual diagrams in Mr. Wright's own hand. To see the transition from first sketch to final details was wonderful.

If you know Mr. Wright's work, you will be aware that he often designed his own furniture and sculptures for the buildings, and had craftsmen execute them. You will see many fine examples in the book of these details presented in their most dramatic ways.

The book also has good balance. Many books about Mr. Wright favor his homes, or his famous works, or his public buildings. This one creates a balance over his entire career of all his work. So you get a decent amount about his Usonia period as well as his Prairie years.

Here are the works that are covered in the book: Home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois; William H. Winslow House, River Forest, Illinois; Susan Lawrence Dana House, Springfield, Illinois; Arthur Heurtley House, Oak Park, Illinois; Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois; Larkin Company Administrative Buidling, Buffalo, New York; Unity Temple, Oak Park, Illinois; E.E. Boynton House, Rochester, New York; Avery Coonley House, Riverside, Illinois; Meyer May House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago, Illinois; Midway Gardens, Chicago, Illinois; Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan; F.C. Bogk House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Aline Barnsdall House, Los Angeles, California; John Storer House, Hollywood, California; Paul R. and Jean S. Hanna House, Stanford, California; Fallingwater, Mill Run, Pennsylvania; Herbert Jacobs House, Madison, Wisconsin; S.C. Johnson & Son Administrative Building, Racine, Wisconsin; Herbert F. Johnson House, Wind Point, Wisconsin; C. Leigh Stevens House, Yemassee, South Carolina; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City; Arnold Friedman House, Pecos, New Mexico; Herman T. Mossberg House, South Bend, Indiana; Kenneth Laurent House, Rockford, Illinois; Unitarian Church, Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin; David Wright House, Phoenix, Arizona; William Palmer House, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Isadore J. Zimmerman House, Manchester, New Hampshire; H.C. Price Company Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Harold Price, Sr. House, Paradise Valley, Arizona; Gerald B. Tonkens House, Amberley Village, Ohio; Beth Sholom Synagogue, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; Don M. Stromquist House, Bountiful, Utah; Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael, California; Taliesin III, Spring Green, Wisconsin; and Taliesin West, Scottsdale, Arizona.

After you finish enjoying this book the first time, ask yourself what has been Mr. Wright's lasting impact on America. How has his work affected your life? How will it affect your grandchildren's lives?

Turn an optimistic view of people living in natural harmony into reality!

Truly awesome!!
A great reference and must have for anyone interested in Wright. Detailed pictures and text.

fallingwater
i want to know about fallingwates.please send for me kay........

just perfect !
for this price you can not find a book of this quality, it has perfect images, drawings, and a deep information about his life and work. ... Read more

Book Description

Virtually every structure that Wright built is represented in this extensive survey of his life's work.His genius at architectural design enable him to work out extremely complex buildings in his head and translate them on to paper in a matter of hours, as the famous story of his design presentation of Falling Water illustrates.His work continues to draw great admiration and interest to this day.His often tempestuous and sometimes tragic life and career are given full coverage in this book.Hundreds of photos, both archival and recent chart his amazing work and influence on all who followed.Thomas A. Heinz is a noted Chicago area architect as well as a writer and leading authority on the work of Wright.Among other works, he has written FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT INTERIORS AND FURNITURE (1994) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

erratum
Photograph of Fallingwater (page 46) is reversed left-right.

Simply the BEST !
BEST single-source reference book...
Of course,excellent photography !

complete for the price
Maybe the most complete book on Frank Lloyd Wright but despite the numerous photos, the quality is equal to the price. Some pictures like Guggenheim Museum are quite poor. Despite this it's a good book especially for the price.

A Great, Big book on all of Wright
Heinz has certainly done it again, written a book, a great, big book with great photos of every one of the buildings and has expanded on this by including a short biographical chapter and more photos and information on Stained Glass and Furniture.

This 450 page book is the first to show all the buildings in color. The text is casual and refresingly non-academic. It talks about the people behind the buildings more than the buildings. How often have you read about the red brick and the six second floor windows, things that you can easily see in the illustration? This biographical information on the clients of Wright is fascinating and holds your attention as do the compelling photos.

I don't know how they can get the price of this book down so low with the great quality of the reproductions but I hope there are more of Heinz's books like this one. On the otherhand, how can there be much more. I read that Heinz has 80,000 photos so I guess we have not seen them all, yet. This one is great and I hope Heinz keeps at it. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Some surprises await the reader
This book is an interesting juxtaposition of two things--Frank Lloyd Wright's complex dealings with a maverick, and some very rare, beautiful photos.

The first part of this is probably of interest to only Frank Lloyd Wright's fans. But those photographs are something else.

Most people know only the exterior of Hollyhock House--cold, forbidding, monolithic; but are unfamiliar with its breathtakingly beautiful interior--in this book, displayed with some photos in vivid color. In my opinion, the interior of this building is the most beautiful of all Frank Lloyd Wright houses; a masterpiece of interior design in the Prairie Style. As an added bonus, there are some extremely rare photos of Residence B--long-demolished, it was a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, probably unique in its use of mitred wood and corbeled posts. (I've never seen a house like it in my entire life).

The photos make this book a must-read, must-have part of your collection, suitable for display on a coffee table.

The best book on Hollyhock House
As the author of this book, I know that I have brought together a collection of drawings, archival photos, plans and drawings made especially for this publication that document and analyze one of Wright's largest and most famous commissions during the period of the 1920s. His work with Aline Barnsdall was extrememly complicated and covered over a decade in his career. My book puts the Hollyhock House in context of the larger commission for Olive Hill. Drawings are reproduced from several sources, mainly the Wright Archives. Hundreds of letters and documents were consulted. A section of color photographs shows the house in detail with fully furnished interior views. This book is a must for the library of every reader interested in Wright. I hope you enjoy it and value it too. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

A beautiful photographic view of more than 1,000 interiors of homes, public buildings, and corporate buildings designed by Wright, matching interior design to architectural elements--comfort, convenience, and spaciousness. This incredible four-color book features his use of tradition, horizontal lines, natural elements, concrete, and three-dimensional space. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Frank Lloyd Wright Revealed
As an architect myself, I am relieved and thankful that this book allows the serious student to unravel Frank Lloyd Wright's creative processes. The eclectic collection of photos (some historical; a few almost 100 years old) and brief but perfectly descriptive observations of each of his works and methods would allow any budding architect or interior designer to get inside the head of FLW and operate with his creative principles. Obviously, the photographs were compiled from the works of many different photographers; most in colour; some in black and white, but thank God the images of FLW's works were preserved and put into this amazing collection of interior design. Of about 400 FLW structures around the world, there are probably less than fifty which are open to public viewing today, so this book, with careful explanations, gives the appreciative student access to the almost secret creative practices of FLW. This book contains a treasure trove of FLW's ideas and aesthetic solutions to different and sometimes demanding building sites and client's personalities. Terrific and valuable reference book for the office library.

You couldn't sell these houses with these pictures
While there is no doubt that Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are spectacular, and I am a big fan, this book does them no justice at all. It is scrappily put together and contains some of the worst photography I have ever seen. A real let down. While it does not cost much, your money will be wasted if you buy this book. ... Read more

Book Description

From the way we build to the way we live, Frank Lloyd Wright’s influence onAmericanarchitecture is visible all around us. Now, Ada Louise Huxtable, the PulitzerPrize- winning architecture writer for The Wall Street Journal—and chiefarchitecturecritic for The New York Times for nearly twenty years—offers anoutstandinglook at the architect and the man. She explores the sources of his tumultuousand troubledlife and his long career as master builder as well as his search for lasting,true love. Alongthe way, Huxtable introduces readers to Wright’s masterpieces: Taliesin, rebuiltaftertragedy and murder; the Imperial Hotel, one of the few structures left standingafterJapan’s catastrophic 1923 earthquake; and tranquil Fallingwater, to whichmillions havetraveled to experience its quiet grace. Through the journey, Huxtable takes usnot onlyinto the mind of the man who drew the blueprints, but also into the very heartof themedium, which he changed forever. A story of great triumph and heartbreak,FrankLloyd Wright is, like Wright’s own creations, an expertly wrought tribute toa manwhose genius lives on in the very landscape of American architecture. ... Read more

Book Description

Fortunately for the many admirers of his architecture, theories, and designs, Frank Lloyd Wright was not only a lover of space and a man of vision--he was also a man who liked to save things. Since he opened his first office in Chicago in 1893, Wright held on to drawings, sketches, notes, photographs, manuscripts, and correspondence. Many of those artifacts survive today in his official archive at Taliesin West in Arizona. Produced in conjunction with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, this extraordinary book offers a fresh presentation of the documents of one of the world's most famous architects. It is, in effect, a museum in a book. The unique book experience contains 25 interactive, three-dimensional features, removable facsimiles of original documents, never-before-published architectural sketches, and an audio CD containing excerpts from Wright's weekly addresses at his architectural compound, as well as television interviews. Following the proven success of other Wright titles, this is an engaging journey into the life and work of the iconic American architect through words, pictures, and artifacts. ... Read more

Book Description

As Robert Fishman writes of three of urban planning's greatest visionaries, Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, they 'hated the cities of their time with an overwhelming passion. The metropolis was the counter-image of their ideal cities, the hell that inspired their heavens.' ... Read more

Book Description

Fallingwater Rising is a biography not of a person but of the most famous house of the twentieth century. Scholars and the public have long extolled the house that Frank Lloyd Wright perched over a Pennsylvania waterfall in 1937, but the full story has never been told.

When he got the commission to design the house, Wright was nearing seventy, his youth and his early fame long gone. It was the Depression, and Wright had no work in sight. Into his orbit stepped Edgar J. Kaufmann, a Pittsburgh department-store mogul–“the smartest retailer in America”–and a philanthropist with the burning ambition to build a world-famous work of architecture. It was an unlikely collaboration: the Jewish merchant who had little concern for modern architecture and the brilliant modernist who was leery of Jews. But the two men collaborated to produce an extraordinary building of lasting architectural significance that brought international fame to them both and confirmed Wright’s position as the greatest architect of the twentieth century.

Fallingwater Rising is also an enthralling family drama, involving Kaufmann, his beautiful cousin/wife, Liliane, and their son, Edgar Jr., whose own role in the creation of Fallingwater and its ongoing reputation is central to the story. Involving such key figures of the l930s as Frida Kahlo, Albert Einstein, Henry R. Luce, William Randolph Hearst, Ayn Rand, and Franklin Roosevelt, Fallingwater Rising shows us how E. J. Kaufmann’s house became not just Wright’s masterpiece but a fundamental icon of American life.

One of the pleasures of the book is its rich evocation of the upper-crust society of Pittsburgh–Carnegie, Frick, the Mellons–a society that was socially reactionary but luxury-loving and baronial in its tastes, hobbies, and sexual attitudes (Kaufmann had so many mistresses that his store issued them distinctive charge plates they could use without paying).

Franklin Toker has been studying Fallingwater for eighteen years. No one but he could have given us this compelling saga of the most famous private house in the world and the dramatic personal story of the fascinating people who made and used it.

A major contribution to both architectural and social history. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Superb & Truly Outstanding
These days, it's a rarity to read an architectural book that is informative and entertaining at the same time.For those that have read materials from Kenneth Frampton, they are probably more cerebral.At times, I also find architectural book either to be shallow (bombarding us with glossy pictures and thus no substance) or too dry for an architectural enthusiast to go all the way.This effort by Franklin Tokler is a reaper, to much my pleasant surprise.He spent almost three years writing this book and the amount of research that he had done is truly outstanding and tangible proofs were all in the book.The book contained facts and relevant photos (both B&W and colour).Franklin digged deeper into the Fallingwater.He investigated the motivation of why Fallingwater gotten built at the first place.He discussed the personalities involved in depth and in length and naturally, we also gotten to read about the other personalities of the time and of their connection to Fallingwater as well.Gosh, there were so many to name but just as a teaser: Diego Riviera, Frida Kahlo, Rockerfeller, Mellon, Richard Neutra, Walter Gropius, Mies van de Rohe, Le Corbusier, disciples of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the list goes on and on.Franklin endeavoured to educate the world that the patron, Kauffman is just as important as Frank Lloyd Wright in the project.That's what I find the most entertaining to read about the uneasy alliance between the patron and the architect.He also disputed the claim by the young sibling of Kauffman that the credit went to him for bring his father and the architect together.Then, there were talk of their collection of arts, their Jews background and how did the American society accept them at that time, and so forth.Then, there were talk about the flawed structural system (particularly the cantilever) and how Fallingwater underwent a quiet suicide, the speculation of the origin of the name of the building itself.The book also went into explaining the rationale of why the house is so endearing to people from all over the world till now and perhaps, there would be another Fallingwater in the making somehow?A book that is written with passion and vigour, paying homage to it with utmost dignity from an author who obviously has been visiting it for hundreds of time (as mentioned).I find Franklin's high spirit contagious and I sincerely recommend this book to all architecture buff.A truly unforgettable experience.

Outstanding Book
At first glance, a book about Fallingwater might appear to be narrowly focused and of little interest to non-architects. In fact, Franklin Toker has written a thoroughly engaging book that weaves together biography, architecture, and cultural history. The story of America's most famous house becomes inextricably tied to the lives of E.J. Kaufmann, his wife, son, and, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. In this biographical mix Toker explores relevant and fascinating components of American social and cultural history from the 1930s to the present. If you've visited Fallingwater, or are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must read.Even if you haven't travelled to Bear Run and know little about Wright, this volume is worth reading.Fallingwater Rising is simply a great book.

Fallingwater Rising
Being born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois where Frank Lloyd Wright did much of his early work, I developed an interest in Wright that I explored over the years by reading books on Wright and by visiting his buildings.Clearly this is the finest book I have ever read on Wright and his work.It moves beyond architecture to place Wright, his client, and the great house, Fallingwater, in a comprehensive social and historical context which makes the building both more understandable and more enjoyable.Not at all a book for the specialist. I would have read this book with great pleasure even if I knew nothing about Wright and his architecture.

First Class
I found this an engrossing read; really quite excellent. Toker places the building in a series of contexts - FLW's and Kaufman's personal and career arcs, political, economic, social etc, then leavens incredibly detail with extremely acute insights into motivations and intentions which in sum I found wonderful. Highly recommended for interested novices like me, and I'm sure great value too for open minded cognoscenti. I eagerly await Toker's next epic.

Architecture, History + Personalities -- a great combination
If you have any interest in a well-written story which weaves history, architecture, social and cultural conditions, PLUS unique personalities of wealth and power -- then this book is for YOU.
Read this engaging book, ostensibly about the creation of one of America's most famous private homes known as 'Fallingwater Rising'-- and you'll quickly discover that it is about so much more.
Professor Toker has done a wonderful job of telling this worthwhile tale. ... Read more

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book takes a look at many unusual private homes designed by Wright, from the cantilevered "Fallingwater" in Pennsylvania to the "Desert-rose" concrete-block Lykes House in Phoenix, Arizona.Includes many popular examples of Wright's most famous houses. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

50 Favorite Rooms Review
This book is great either if you are wanting infornmation on Frank Lloyd Wright, his personal life or the works of art he created. It gives examples of his personal choices and styles. Each page includes a full page color picture of one of the rooms he designed.
It also is a good book if you are just looking for examples of interior design or aritechture. It has unique pieces and will give you great ideas!

Excellently arranged; quality overview of great room spaces
The first thing that struck me about this book is how well put-together it is. In "50 Favorite Rooms by Frank Lloyd Wright," Diane Maddex (listed in the credits as "Project Director") has crafted a book that is clean, simple and elegant in its presentation of the architect's trademark design of personal living spaces.

If you've visited more than a few of Frank Lloyd Wright's creations, chances are they won't all be represented here. He completed hundreds of homes and buildings, which means that this book could have been entitled "250 Favorite Rooms ..." and it still would have been too thin. What you do find are superb photos which are amazingly successful in capturing the perspective and harmony of lines, space, furniture, ornamentation and even lighting. My favorite views are inside the homes, but the public spaces are interesting also. You don't have to be an architect to appreciate the mastery in Mr. Wright's designs.

The chapters are grouped by room type (e.g., living rooms, dining rooms), with each of the pictures taking up AT LEAST one full page, and supported by 20-30 lines of text describing key design aspects of the room. The photos are of the highest quality in terms of exposure, lighting and balance. In some cases, the vantage point allows for a look beyond the windows to the surrounding landscape or greenery. A nice touch, indeed. In short, if you're looking for the definitive image of a room, you'll find a bunch of them right here.

If Mr. Wright had designed a book, I think this is what he'd have come up with. I give this my highest recommendation.

Seeing the Sublime from Behind Closed Doors
Most of the 5,000 plus wonderful rooms designed by Frank Lloyd Wright are not open to the public. This book gives you a chance to go where you often cannot go in any other way to see 50 of the best.

Unlike most architects, Mr. Wright designed in such a way that "the rooms inside would dictate the architecture outside." Even inside, he designed all elements of the room, including floor and wall coverings, art glass in many cases, lighting fixtures, furniture, and where everything should be located. He also specified that those who used the rooms should be limited to bringing in only certain types of objects, and for certain locations. For example, ornamental china was allowed on one ledge of the dining room in Robie House.

I have had the chance to visit many Wright homes and buildings, yet this book greatly expanded my understanding of his work.

Mr. Wright was primarily a home architect, and "the living room was the heart of the home" for him. He would use built-in benches to encourage reading, fireplaces for conversation, windows with designs to inspire contemplation, tables for informal dining and card playing, and views of nature for living more organically.

Clearly, it would be hard to outdo a Wright living room, and most of the best examples of his work in this book are living rooms. I thought the best ones were in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, Little House, Fallingwater, Taliesin West, Wingspread, Cedar Rock, R.L. Wright House, and Rayward House.

I liked his dining rooms best in the home and studio in Oak Park, Dana-Thomas House, Robie House, May House, and Boynton House.

For nooks and crannies, I liked the Oak Park studio library, and the Storer House Terrace.

Of the public spaces, my favorites were the Unity Temple Sanctuary, Coonley Playhouse, the Guggenheim Museum atrium, and the Marin County Center skylit atrium under the barrel vault.

If you ever have a chance to see any of these, be sure you take advantage of it! Robie House is now being rebuilt in Hyde Park, Illinois, but is open for tours. Final restoration is expected to be done in 2007. The Oak Park home and studio are open every day. Taliesin West is open most days. Fallingwater has an extensive schedule of being open. Unity Temple, the Guggenheim, and Marin County Center are usually open.

After you examine these wonderful living spaces, think about how your life would be improved in such more natural surroundings. How can you make where you live closer to his ideal?

Look for the most natural way to be with others!

The Essence of Eternal Art and Architectural Mastery!
This book touches me in many ways. First, it brings memories of childhood, with the illusions of art full in my mind. I have always loved art and buildings and when in Sr. High School, I had the opportunity to visit one of Mr. Wright's creations, I was in awe at the sight of it. It was in Falling Water, PA. When you have the opportunity to walk into one of these homes, not houses; it is like you feel the presence of the man who designed it, not just a building. Looking at the pages in this book is as close to walking in one of the luxurious rooms as a person can get without actually physically being there. Frank Lloyd Wright truly is an Eternal Artist. His book is lively and full of feeling, as well as detailed artwork that comes from the love of designing itself. I could go on for a long time about his works, but I will leave a little to the imagination now. If you haven't already seen or looked at one of his creations, I suggest that you at least buy one of the many wonderful books about them. You will be delightfully pleased for years to come.

A beautiful record of classic Frank Lloyd Wright interiors.
Having recently visited several Wright designed homes in Illinois and Southern California, I was very impressed with the exquisite photographs contained in Diane Maddex's book. The brief commentaries identifying the owners of the homes who engaged Wright, as well as the descriptions of Wright's basic concepts in fulfilling his designs, added additional interest. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wright's Space Rightly Revealed
Hildebrand really puts you into a selection of Wright's built spaces; you can imagine what it is like to move through and experience the changing spaces (height, length, turns) in several of Wright's famous houses, even if you've not visited in person. Hildebrand's extended discussion --and demonstration through stunning "3D" exploded diagrams-- of the primordial concepts of Refuge/shelter (those dark fireplace cores and inglenooks) and Prospect/outlook (distant elevated windows) applied to buildings dating to different stages of Wright's practice is most original and convincing. Author's scholarly prose is serviceable rather than equally soaring. Highly useful small plans (newly corrected and with compass indications!) and evocative B/W photographs supplement those amazing diagrams by Wm. Hook.

A new insight into architectural aesthetics
Wright's buildings are some of the most appealing in history. Why?

Hildebrand applies a landscape theory developed by Jay Appleton (books also available on Amazon.com) - our early ancestors sought homesites high in the qualities of PROSPECT (ability to survey the surroundings) and REFUGE (protection from environmental and other threats), and thus we are programmed to find these qualities appealing.

Wright's large windows, sheltering eaves, solid stone, welcoming hearth, etc., are rich in Prospect and Refuge which give the subconscious signal "This is a great homesite!"

(Also see A PATTERN LANGUAGE, by Alexander, for more patterns underlying architectural appeal). ... Read more

Book Description

The 20th century's most influential architect utilized glass in a number of ways to distinguish his designs of churches, public buildings, and private residences.This comprehensive book traces Wright's innovative use of art glass in windows, lighting, interior décor, furnishings, and his famed Luxifer prisms, and provides a chronological, pictorial survey of the glass in each documented building designed by Wright. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantastic photos, not-so-fantastic text
This book contains fantastic full-color photos spanning Wright's career and use of art glass. Unfortunately, the text and editing are dreadful, one has to plod through most of the paragraphs. The writer appears to have been attempting to pack as many words into each sentence as possible; she also has several pet phrases, such as "proof, if proof were needed" that are over-used the first time they appear. A few factual errors are also scattered throughout the book that should have been caught in the editing process (e.g., on page 83 she places the Dana-Thomas house in Chicago [its in Springfield, Illinois]). I still recommend buying the book solely for the photos. If you are interested in reading a history of Wright, there are many more well-written books in press. Five stars for the photos, one star for the text.

Spectacular Photographs and Essays of Brilliant Glass Use!
This book deserves more than five stars for overall excellence and its ability to extend your appreciation of how glass can improve our ability to enjoy public buildings and homes. The photographs and essays could not have been better, more in point, or easy to understand.

If you are like me, you feel that Frank Lloyd Wright's use of glass was one of his most distinctive and attractive features. He employed glass to create a "quality of repose" by diffusing light, and using "window curtains" to separate spaces without denying light by employing patterns in the glass. In doing this, he wanted to create a "vista without, vista within." For many of his urban homes (especially those in Oak Park, Illinois), there was no opportunity to have much of a vista without. In those circumstances, he emphasized creating internal vistas, and using access to the sky through skylights and elevated windows for the external ones. In the S.C. Johnson Administrative Building, he relied on pyrex glass to let the light enter while providing structural support. The geometric shapes (often in color) on his art glass also added eye appeal. The book contains many wonderful designs such as his famous tree of life and of hollyhocks. Glass was also an integral part of his lighting fixtures, which often evoke Japanese lanterns.

The bulk of Mr. Wright's buildings are in private hands, which you cannot visit very easily to see the insides. So much of the beautiful use of glass is hidden except in the external windows viewable from ground level. This book is a remarkable resource to overcome that handicap. If you are like me, you will come away especially impressed with the Dana-Thomas house glass in Springfield, Illinois.

The book is superb for beautifully displaying and exploring these many dimensions of Mr. Wright's use of glass.

After you finish enjoying this volume, I suggest that you think about how you could use some of Mr. Wright's ideas to make where you live more filled with vistas and repose. For example, can you use cellophane and constuction paper to create art glass effects when placed atop windows?

See the light in more beautiful ways!

Truly Illuminating
Although lavishly illustrated, this title has more than just pretty pictures. Frank Lloyd Wright Glass offers a close up examination of some of Wright's greatest achievements, structural and decorative, discussing what they have meant to those who have followed. It looks through the window of architecture to see the broader cultural horizon, profiling specific sites to illustrate Wright's ideas and his legacy. ... Read more

Book Description

Renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright was an avid and important collector and dealer of Asian art. His personal collection included thousands of Japanese color woodblock prints, and it was his discerning eye that helped build the foremost private holdings in the United States, which in turn became the cornerstones of the important collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This lavish bookówhich accompanies an exhibition at Japan Society Gallery in New Yorkóexamines Wright’s passion for Japanese art and illuminates the profound impact it had on his personal and professional life.

Author Julia Meech has devoted years to researching this aspect of Wright’s life and work. Her fascinating studyówhich spans Wright’s entire career and is lavishly illustrated with color reproductions of works of art and scores of archival photographsóadds a rich new chapter to the body of scholarship on the great American architect. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another passion...
To anyone familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural designs, the fact that love of Japanese art, design and print work should come as no surprise. The book 'Frank Lloyd Wright and the Art of Japan: The Artist's Other Passion' by Julia Melch gives clear details of the influence of the Japanese on his thinking and creativity, both in narrative and in glorious photography and print.

Frank Lloyd Wright
Wright was born in Wisconsin shortly after the American Civil War. He studied in the late nineteenth century with noted architect Louis Sullivan, with whom he had continuing and occasionally strained relationship. Wright is probably best known in America for the design of the Guggenheim Museum of Art In New York City; more generally, though, he is known for a particular style of low-built prairie-style houses and institutional buildings, that utilised open-space planning, and often had an element of interaction with elements such as water (in fact, a perennial complaint of Wright buildings is that they leak!). Wright was an innovator in incorporating engineering principles into the design of his buildings to provide sturdiness and creative forms of support and room design. In Japan, Wright was well-known for his design of the Imperial Hotel in Japan, as well as other buildings, including private residences of many prominent Japanese citizens. His work in Japan did not extend much beyond the early 1920s, however, and even the Imperial Hotel was demolished in 1968. Wright himself passed away in 1959 at the age of 91.

Wright and the Art of Japan
This book was produced for the Japan Society Gallery of New York by Julia Melch. It traces early affinities and influences of Japanese art on Wright and his work, continuing interest including Wright's almost voracious collecting habits, and the final selling and distribution of his collection late in Wright's life.

'When Wright died at the age of almost ninety-two, he owed money to several Asian art dealers in New York, and there were six thousand Japanese colour woodblock prints in his personal collection, not to mention some three hundred Chinese and Japanese ceramics, bronzes, sculptures, textiles, stencils, and carpets, and about twenty Japanese and Chinese folding screens.'

Some of this collection remains as part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, but much had to be sold to pay debts, including tax bills.

Japanese art probably first came into Wright's sphere of creative influences with the World's Fair of 1893 in Chicago. Louis Sullivan had many books of Japanese design and art in his offices when Wright first joined the firm of Adler and Sullivan. This probably represents the earliest introduction. However, Japanese art was becoming widely available in American and Europe by this time, and Japanese principles were beginning to be introduced in novel ways to various buildings. Wright's first trip to Japan came in 1905, the first of many.

Wright became well-known in Japan, and entered a period he sometimes referred to as his 'Oriental Symphony'. During the time of his work on the Imperial Hotel, he gave an interview which showed his standing and mis-understanding in the Japanese architectural community:

Wright was not only a collector, but was himself a dealer of some standing. Particularly in Oak Park and the Chicago area, his designs for buildings would often include artistic recommendations that he would provide as dealer.

This lead to a major scandal, which Melch recounts in some (sometimes juicy) detail. Wright's egocentric way of viewing the world and attempt to 'get away' with various controversial practices of manufacture and transfer of art work.

'Wright was an immodest foreigner operating outside the guidelines of the closed community of Tokyo print dealers. He flaunted his money and exuded the thinly veiled bravado of the ace dealer. Prince were escalating, the stakes were high, and h is jealous rivals were no doubt pleased to take him out of the game. Revamping was a new technique, totally unexpected. Greed and anticipation of huge profits had made him careless.'

Wright left Japan in 1922, before completion of the Imperial Hotel. He never returned. In fact, he had few international dealings in art or architecture after this period. He longed for greater international acclaim and exposure, but save a few unfinished projects in Hungary and Baghdad, he had few foreign assignments, and none of note.

Disposing of the collection, both before his death and by his widow after his death, is a tale in-and-of itself recounted in the book. Trading with friends and other art dealers, auctioning off pieces individually and as collections, and giving gifts away reduced the collection somewhat, but Wright continued to add pieces throughout his life.

Julia Melch
The author, Julia Melch, has had a career devoted to Asian art. Educated at Smith College and Harvard University, she has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art organising exhibitions of Asian art. She is currently a senior consultant to Christie's, the famous auction house, specialising in Japanese art works.

This book is produced by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., which has a strong reputation, well deserved, for producing outstanding volumes of art. The colours are vibrant and attractive; the pages are firm and well-suited to the art represented. This is a reference volume, a great coffee-table book, and an interesting narrative read. Giving a perspective on both Frank Lloyd Wright and Japanese art of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries through the lens of each other is a unique perspective, well executed.

The Passion of Frank Lloyd Wright
It's almost unimaginable that anyone could find something new to say about this protean figure of the 20th Century. And, in fact, another author, Kevin Nute, has also written in recent years about the architect's lifelong fascination with things Japanese. Yet where Nute concentrates on the Orientalist ideas and design concepts that Wright so readily and brilliantly adapted in his own work, Julia Meech turns her attention to a different--and darker--side of the architect's personality: his passion for Japanese prints and art collecting. As she tells it, this obsession (his print purchases often exceeded the money that he took in on architectural commissions) not only drove Wright into bankruptcy, but ensnared him in a debilitating scandal over the resale of "revamped" artworks to several of his wealthy patrons.

Wright, the driven, self-absorbed genius, is everywhere apparent in this fascinating, well-researched saga. But so is the conflicted man behind the famous persona. (This isn't to say that he emerges as a particularly sympathetic figure: Meech relates, for instance, how Wright helped organize a memorial exhibition following the untimely death of his Japanese mentor, the young and talented printmaker Hashiguchi Goyo. She adds, however, that no evidence exists to show that Wright ever owned one of Goyo's prints--a bit ironic given the high regard in which Goyo's work is held today.)

Equal to Meech's riveting account, I would have to say that this is one of the most beautifully-designed catalogs (it accompanies an exhibition of the same name at the Japan Society Gallery in New York City) that I have ever encountered. It is both lavish and tasteful, if that's possible, with gorgeous color plates and scads of rare photographs of the architect and his cronies, his places of refuge (including hotel suites and other temporary dwellings chock-a-block full of art treasures), and persons and places relevant to the story. For Frank Lloyd Wright fans already burdened by a surfeit of wonderful books, make room on your shelf for a fine new acquisition. ... Read more

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Reviews (6)

Lightscreens book reviewed....missing the 1950's glass......
Gee for this good of an indepth book it's missing some of Mr. Wrights art glass work. It appears to the author SLOAN of the book that Mr. Wright's executed art glass ended in 1924. HOW UNTRUE. What about the artglass in the Southern Florida University chapel? Or what about the Greek church in Madison Wisconsin? or what about the 1954 Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA....the artglass above the pulpit?????? GEE GOOD research on the rest of it though.....lots of detail but she didn't do a good job on the rest of it.....by the way a sketch in Wright's drawings was done for the Greek Church in Madison, Wisc. originally to be christian "figurines"...the only sketch by Wright in artglass that was realistic other than his unexecuted "waterlilies" artglass that is known of and printed in color form today on rugs and prints. And gee I didn't even spend time to research this data, it was all known to me as an architect, & enthusiast. I'm also a member of the FLLW conservancy, FLLW Home & studio, Taliesin Fellows, and Taliesin Associates member. For non-architects who do books....CLUE: next time do thorough research since it makes your efforts and detailed work look shabby for so lengthy of detailed data excerted in your book. Good luck next time and PLEASE add a GOOD redone 2nd edition.

great book
This is a very well researched, well presented analysis of FLW's windows. It speaks for itself. The pictures are well chosen and do a very good job of illustrating the books themes and analysis.

Amazon's got it 180 degrees from "right"
The "cover" image shown with this book is flipped 180 degrees from its actual orientation. To see the book in its actual design, go to www.lightscreens.com ... both the hardcover catalog to the exhibition and what I call the "Big Book" (the slipcased 400-pager) are there. (The paperback catalog is available only in the museums where the exhibition is mounted.)

Others have referred to the photographs as "bland." Well, I'd have to agree where the museums that own Wright windows are concerned; Wright intended to "bring the outside in," but museums for some reason insist on photographing his windows against a white background. Since I took most of the photographs in these books, let me tell you that I always photographed them with their backgrounds - the landscapes in the middle and long distance - integral to the windows themselves, as Wright intended.

The drawings are smaller than Wright made them because any 9x12 book is smaller than Wright's drawings. And as for "came" vs. "leaded," the latter term is a commonly used generalization to describe any glass held in a metal matrix ... Wright usually used copper or brass came, but not exclusively.

Since the book is in print after 20 years of research, the fact that its designer didn't meet the first reviewer's expectations or desires is beside the point. Until now there's been no definitive overview of Wright's stained glass. We should rejoice that this books exists ... and I do. Why do I rejoice? Beause I took most of the photos in the book (I'm the ALL of ALL/JLS in the credits) and I know how difficult it was to gain access to the [lived-in] homes of Wright homeowners, so I celebrate the fact that the author's been able to share this work with the world. It would otherwise be inaccessible.

Complete
Finally, a documentation of all of Wright's windows in one place. A priceless addition to the libraries of Wright fans and scholars, this is it-- the end-all, be-all. The package is beautiful. The illustrations are not only COMPLETE, they are extensive and varied. And finally, the text is an extensive analysis by none other than Julie Sloan. The table of contents reveals the scope of her expertise, and each chapter proves its strength.

Great
This book is a wonderful companion to the traveling exhibition of the same name, but it also stands on its own if you can't make it to the exhibit.

Sloan's approach -- a chronological study of the evolution of Wright's glass design -- will be appreciated by scholars of the architect's career.

Additionally, I found the images pleasing in scope. The book includes an extensive mix of drawings (wall plans, window plans, and more), color close-ups (with plain backgrounds and with real-life backgrounds shot from the interior), in-house shots that show how the windows blend with the interiors, and shots of the exteriors.

The book is well-researched and insightful, a collection of beautiful images and a serious study of a master. ... Read more

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Reviews (3)

Frank Lloyd wright Companion Book by Storer
I bought this book from Amazon.com based on the Star rating. I did not know if it was really valid. It is!

This book about Frank Lloyd Wright's designs give a conceptual overview to the evolution of his style. It is excellent for the novice, non architect (which I am). I have been able to visit three of his homes based on the directory in the back. It has also opened up other venues to help me arrive at a FLW inspired house that I am about to build. It is worth the cost if you are looking for the best single source of his work that I have been able to locate outside of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

This is the right one for you.
This is an expensive book but you need only buy it once and you will have readable plans and details of more than 470 Wright buildings. I love his work and have several books about the great man but I find that plans in other books are sometimes unreadable because of the reduction to fit on the page. William Storrer has redrawn them all and taken nearly all the black and white photos. These are to Wright's specification: exterior shots to be in a natural context and include foliage, interiors should be taken with natural light and from a seated position and as Storrer says, this last condition excludes most contemporary color photography of his work. Also included is a ZIP code index of the buildings if you want to visit and see the outside, lucky Illinois and Wisconsin have the most.

Brillliant though this book is I really wanted to see Wright's work in color and I can recommend 'The Vision of Frank Lloyd Wright' by Thomas A Heinz, an inexpensive 448 page book with a color photo of every building.

Both authors are experts on Wright and if you have these two books (and a table to support their weight) you will hardly need to buy any other books on America's greatest architect, then again I liked Doreen Ehrlich's 'Frank Lloyd Wright Glass' and Carla Lind's 'The Wright Style: the interiors of Frank Lloyd Wright' and......!

An indispensable book for anyone serious about FLW.
This book is indispensable for anyone serious about Wright or american or modern architecture. It contains detailed plans of every known work, and insightful commentary. If one could purchase only one book about Wright, to understand both the scope and detail of his whole work, this would be it. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is the first book to examine the environmental landscape designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, probably the world's best known and most influential architect.WRIGHTSCAPES analyzes 85 of his works, and pays particular attention to site planning, landscape design, community scale, and regional planning.

The authors include many original diagrams, rare archival material, and some 200 photographs, many never published before.WRIGHTSCAPES also chronicles how and way Wright's famous ecological sensabilities were established and how his design aspirations went far beyond accepted definitions of architecture.

WRIGHTSCAPES is ideal for required or supplemental reading within many curriculums of architecture, landscape architecture, and city planning or urban design. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Essential, yet disappointing
This is an immense, original, dense, and unique attempt to evaluate what is "outside" of Wright's artful buildings. The authors' 50-year fascination with F.Ll. Wright's vaunted organic architecture and respect for nature results in the first book study of Wright's landscaping-only to discover Wright did hardly any landscaping, and what he did was often illusionary rather than natural (vide: spectacular and dramatic manipulation of artificial urns, planters, terraces, and axial markers)! The Aguars looked in the archives and, aside from impressionistic renderings or geometric exercises, they found hardly a developed site or garden plan from Wright's hand or after his early Prairie years! Consequently, the great bulk of this book is the authors' reconstruction or critical evaluation of the little that is explicit. Most of their attention is perforce upon what exists on the grounds of Wright houses today, 50 or 75 years on. The late Charles Aguar, a landscape architect, interviewed owners (37 original) and subjects 85 sites to intensive site analysis to try to reconstruct what was in Wright's mind and to evaluate the pros and cons of each landscape design. (Of course there's very little about the houses themselves, or their interiors.) Some of the most fascinating designs are Wright's ventures into mass suburban planning, where Aguar can trace the evolution of his thought and practice through a series of (mostly unrealized) housing schemes. Where available he includes original planting information from the archives, but supplies none of his own for the present day. He does address admonitions for maintenance or restoration to current owners of Wright places.

Aguar suggests that Wright was a far better architect than landscaper, that he was strongly influenced at specific points in his career by anti-realistic Japanese landscape design, that he became an "organic" (integrated) designer only with the development of his Taliesin estate, and that he was at his best designing and siting buildings on flat land where his geometries were least constrained by the siting analysis, soil studies, and grading plans he never made.

Text and illustrations complement each other well, but some corners have unfortunately been cut when the co-author had to reduce the text to one volume. Charles Aguar's lifelong devotion to studying Wright is poorly served by the tiny photos and maps, many his own. Despite taking thousands of color slides during their visits to 189 Wright sites, and publishing on heavy glossy paper, the authors include not a single color picture (the dust cover excepted). Gardeners will be immensely disappointed in this book, designers somewhat less so. There are no color schemes and hardly a decent planting scheme (at miniscule scale), but you can compile from the 13 appendices a short list of "Wrightian" species (while recognizing that most of them actually derive from the work of Griffith or Jensen, early collaborators of Wright in Chicago).

For an "environmental" appreciation of Wright's buildings themselves, you might like Grant Hildenbrand's The Wright Space, with its exciting visualizations of shelter, prospect, and procession within his buildings. ... Read more