Frank Lloyd Wright 150th Birthday Tribute

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that today is the 150th birthday of architect supreme Frank Lloyd Wright. His design aesthetic shaped my tastes and his innovative creations continue to inspire. Today's post features a brief glimpse of the FLW structures I have been able to see over the years, starting with his Studio in Oak Park, Illinois.

Taliesen West in Arizona:



Woodside in Marion, Indiana:



The Robie House in Chicago:



The Millard House in Los Angeles:



The Guggenheim Museum in New York City:



The Samuel Freeman House in Hollywood:



The Ennis House in Hollywood:



The Hollyhock House in East Hollywood:



Wow...and that's only a small portion of this man's genius.

More Frank Lloyd Wright at my main website.

Wright in Chicago: Oak Park Home

My last trip to Oak Park to see the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio was when I was still shooting with film. Interior shots were not allowed, and looking back at the exterior photo that I took I am definitely not impressed. You can imagine how excited I was to be able to go back and revisit this mecca for architectural enthusiasts and have a second shot over 20 years later.

The weather cooperated and granted me a beautiful sunny day.



I was just as spellbound by Wright's home today as I was two decades ago. I especially dig this little alcoved area with a fireplace. Wright was all about creating spaces for conversation.



The height of the chairs practically creates a mini-room inside of the dining room.



A bedroom:



The ceiling of one of the bedrooms:



And a closeup of the mural:



My very favorite spot in the house is the playroom, with its barreled ceiling:



The fireplace and mural:



A detailed view:



Primitive or not, I'd still love this bathroom!



I especially like the expressive statues on the exterior of the house:



How I feel on a Monday morning:



More Frank Lloyd Wright at my main website.

Traveling Thursdays: Frank Lloyd Wright

Back in 2002, I took a trip to Chicago and my first introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright occurred when I visited his studio in Oak Park. My sense of design was never the same. I immediately fell for his designs, theories, and practical sense of style.

Unfortunately, these photos were shot many cameras ago, so there were only a few shots and they are not the greatest. I really need to get back there.

In Oak Park, there are quite a few Frank Lloyd Wright homes. I would be happy to have any one of them!





One even bears my last name; must be a distant relative. Hope he remembers me in his will:





Nearby in Los Angeles is the Ennis House, built in 1924. Sitting high up on a hill in Los Feliz near Griffith Park, it has been used for a number of Film and TV productions (including Harrison Ford’s “Blade Runner”):







The textile blocks used throughout the façade are amazing; I really love the Mayan influences that Wright incorporated into the design. It is like nothing else I have ever seen.



For only $15 million, this house could be yours. It has been for sale since last June, and is in need of some TLC as you can see from these photos. Unable to make it as a nonprofit, a private owner seems to be the best solution to keep this historic landmark from demolition.



In Arizona, you can find Taliesin West. Built in 1937, it served as the winter home for FLW and as the main campus of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. On the tour that I took back in 1997, I was told that the final project for each student is to build a temporary home/tent structure that would be torn down once the project was graded.









See more Frank Lloyd Wright photos at my main website.