The Robie House!

For a budding young architect such as myself, a trip to Chicago wouldn't be complete without a trip to Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.  As with other famous buildings, having learned about it in school, discussed it extensively and picked apart its meaning, implications, and design philosophy, I was a little worried that it wouldn't really be all that exciting when finally looking at it in person.  I'm happy to say that this wasn't the case.  The Robie House is incredibly beautiful, and I spent quite some time sitting on the porch and in the living room.  It has that quality that only a few special building posess of having its own voice, a personality that you can almost hear whispering to you when you walk through it.

This is my favorite photo of the day.  You can really feel the horizontality of the building, the stacking of planes , the most important feature of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style houses.

Sitting on the porch, under the giant cantilevering roof.

From Within Outward: Frank Lloyd Wright at the Guggenheim

Last week I went with my sister to see the current exhibit at the Guggenheim - From Within Outward, a display of Frank Lloyd Wright's work both built and unbuilt. The exhibit coincides with the Guggenheim Museum's 50th birthday and is co-organized by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

The exhibit is on display along the spiraling ramps of the Guggenheim, designed by Wright himself and completed just 6 months after his death. In the show are a variety of projects covering everything from civic buildings to religious buildings, to private residences, to desert resorts, and Wright's own home, named Taliesin, as well. There are models, photos, and original drawings by Wright from his 72 year career as one of the most influential and innovative architects of the 20th century.

The exhibit is up until August 23rd, so there's still time!

Lego Architecture!

Lego, in collaboration with Brickstructures, have released the Lego Architecture collection. Some are available to purchase now, such as the Guggenheim (not accidentally coinciding with the Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit there) and the Landmark series. Falling water will be available in August, and others are on the way as well!

Thanks Mom!

My mom sent me this card in the mail a few days ago. On the front is a drawing of the east facade of the Dana-Thomas house in Springfield, Illinois, circa 1904, designed and drawn by Frank Lloyd Wright for Susan Lawrence Dana.