Of course, Falling Water is probably the preeminent Wright design. After an extensive renovation several years ago, it is once again open for visitation. Truly stunning, especially in the fall!
Oh yes! Is he who they based the main character from fountainhead on? I have a thing for Le Corbusier. There is something to be said about pouring over architecture books as a child: freedom for the imagination to be lost spatially. Used to believe they were sculptures to live in e.g. la Tourette's coloured lights.
I have a fancy book of Fallingwater, because living with a creek is a thing of magic. I love the look of FLW, and beautiful Craftsman built-ins but his homes are not necessarily conducive for living. Have you heard the story about the little Carmel house, where the owner had to fight to get a kitchen door so she could take her trash out? DESIGN!!!
I would live in that carmel cottage in a heartbeat! if someone could finance me the 10 million? And whatever the run rate would be for the rest of my life?
Very intetesting! I've only caught FLW in passing, mainly due to his being mentioned in Endymion and The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmonds.
I don't know how well you know Cornwall but we have been waging a battle, and losing, over the way homes are expressing the very real fuck you attitude here.
As a Cornish Hedger I get work on new builds by the fact that a Cornish Hedge around the home lends it an air of authenticity and blends it into the landscape.
I don't know what goes on as planning laws in the US but here in Kernow money seems to be able to let you build something of unassuaged ugliness, as long as you grease the right palms, especially at the expense of local affordable housing.
I'm lucky in that the people who choose to have a Cornish Hedge have, by that choice, already shown themselves to be be people of discernment and intelligence, so their houses will invariably be beautiful.
This comment was sponsored by Treglines Stone Cornish Hedging😂
Ha :-) Yes, as you say, it's likely that you're going to be seeing the best attempts at blending with the landscape – and Cornwall's landscape is worth protecting!
I've been to Fallingwater. Beautiful to see, cold and damp inside. If Wright visited and they had replaced one of his chairs with something more comfortable he had a tizzy until things were put back the way he had ordered them, with his torture rack furniture.
The Carmel cottage is beautiful and is constantly hammered by Pacific winds, wet off the ocean. Stone building with lots of glass. I can only imagine how many dehumidifiers they need.
Interesting parallel between “of the hill, not on the hill” and mountain biking trails: like FLW’s buildings (and drawings), the best examples are organically flowing & sculpted *from* the earth, not built or constructed *on* it. You’re truly riding the natural contours, despite the artificial work it took to make the trail and almost exaggerate what was already there, while maintaining the naturalness of the landscape.
What an interesting comparison! Nearest I've come was a hair-raising few days on snowmobiles in the Alaskan wilderness, where again the tracks had been sculpted to follow the natural contours of the land. It's rare that one's able to truly engage with the natural landscape as viscerally as with these kind of trails.
'Of the hill, not on the hill' -- thanks.
Such beautiful designs. I think it’s the tones of ink he used in his plans, they soften the sharp edges of his buildings somehow.
Exactly. And things like squaring off with the blue in the top picture...
There’s a very Japanese aesthetic, especially with the red block.
Another great post. Please do a shit one next, you're making the rest of us look bad.
Ha :-) Thank you, and don't worry - I have some truly dreadful ones coming up.
Of course, Falling Water is probably the preeminent Wright design. After an extensive renovation several years ago, it is once again open for visitation. Truly stunning, especially in the fall!
I've never actually been — and I must!
Oh yes! Is he who they based the main character from fountainhead on? I have a thing for Le Corbusier. There is something to be said about pouring over architecture books as a child: freedom for the imagination to be lost spatially. Used to believe they were sculptures to live in e.g. la Tourette's coloured lights.
That's a nice idea...
I have a fancy book of Fallingwater, because living with a creek is a thing of magic. I love the look of FLW, and beautiful Craftsman built-ins but his homes are not necessarily conducive for living. Have you heard the story about the little Carmel house, where the owner had to fight to get a kitchen door so she could take her trash out? DESIGN!!!
Ha - true :)
I would live in that carmel cottage in a heartbeat! if someone could finance me the 10 million? And whatever the run rate would be for the rest of my life?
I've often wished the same...
If you would like an auxiliary quasi-spouse, or your wife would, keep me in mind! I do come with a grey parrot.
Okay, we might be a little crowded...
Be interesting to see how the cats would respond...
Jed loves cats, cats love him!
Very intetesting! I've only caught FLW in passing, mainly due to his being mentioned in Endymion and The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmonds.
I don't know how well you know Cornwall but we have been waging a battle, and losing, over the way homes are expressing the very real fuck you attitude here.
As a Cornish Hedger I get work on new builds by the fact that a Cornish Hedge around the home lends it an air of authenticity and blends it into the landscape.
I don't know what goes on as planning laws in the US but here in Kernow money seems to be able to let you build something of unassuaged ugliness, as long as you grease the right palms, especially at the expense of local affordable housing.
I'm lucky in that the people who choose to have a Cornish Hedge have, by that choice, already shown themselves to be be people of discernment and intelligence, so their houses will invariably be beautiful.
This comment was sponsored by Treglines Stone Cornish Hedging😂
Ha :-) Yes, as you say, it's likely that you're going to be seeing the best attempts at blending with the landscape – and Cornwall's landscape is worth protecting!
FLW didn't design houses but rather house shaped sculptures. They are notoriously impractical and often uncomfortable spaces to live in.
There's truth in that - and issues with leaking and cantilevered roofs etc, but I'd still live in one in a heartbeat ;-)
I've been to Fallingwater. Beautiful to see, cold and damp inside. If Wright visited and they had replaced one of his chairs with something more comfortable he had a tizzy until things were put back the way he had ordered them, with his torture rack furniture.
The Carmel cottage is beautiful and is constantly hammered by Pacific winds, wet off the ocean. Stone building with lots of glass. I can only imagine how many dehumidifiers they need.
You’re teaching me a lot. Thank you. I will research and delve deeper in my spare time.
FLW is a fascinating subject...
Thanks for the thought-provoking post, as always.
Interesting parallel between “of the hill, not on the hill” and mountain biking trails: like FLW’s buildings (and drawings), the best examples are organically flowing & sculpted *from* the earth, not built or constructed *on* it. You’re truly riding the natural contours, despite the artificial work it took to make the trail and almost exaggerate what was already there, while maintaining the naturalness of the landscape.
What an interesting comparison! Nearest I've come was a hair-raising few days on snowmobiles in the Alaskan wilderness, where again the tracks had been sculpted to follow the natural contours of the land. It's rare that one's able to truly engage with the natural landscape as viscerally as with these kind of trails.