Top 10 Facts about Frank Lloyd Wright

Top 10 facts about Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867, in Richland Center, Wisconsin, United States. He went to the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the “star architects” who is famous for his style in architectural designs. His design language is well known and patterns from his work can be found in items from FLW drinking glasses to puzzles.

He had three wives and eight children(7 biological children and one adopted child). He was also a writer, an educator and a designer.

He was given several awards during his lifetime which include; the RIBA gold medal (significant influence in advancement in architecture), AIA gold medal (creation of a body of distinguished architectural work), Twenty-five-year award(4) and Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.

He designed several buildings during his lifetime such as Falling Water, Robie House, Taliesin, Johnson Works Headquarters, Unity Temple, Allen House some to mention but a few. He was involved in various projects such as Broadacre City and Usonian Houses.

He died on 9th April 1959 at the age of 91 years in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.

The following are the top 10 facts about Frank Lloyd Wright

1. Frank was considered the pioneer of the All-American architectural style

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the first-ever American style of architecture. He was one of the leading architects in the Prairie School of Architecture.

He used the Prairie style to design buildings. Some aspects of the Prairie style included the use of natural materials and horizontality focus while designing buildings.

Wright advocated organic architecture, which he defined as design that is in harmony with humans and the environment. Fallingwater (1935), dubbed “the outstanding all-time work of American architecture,” represented this idea.

2. Frank produced more than 1000 architectural designs

Hotel Tokyo Design Photo by 1stDIBS – Wikimedia Commons

 He designed 1114 buildings but only 532 of them were completed. His designs can be found in Canada, USA and Japan.

He spent six years of his professional life in Japan, working on the Imperial Hotel Tokyo project, despite his contributions to American architecture is by far the biggest. Before that, he spent several years lecturing and working throughout Europe with his long-term mistress.

He designed commercial buildings, residential homes, mausoleums, museums and churches.

3. A disgruntled servant set the living quarters on fire

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio Photo by Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio – Wikimedia Commons

On 15th September, his butler, Julian Carlton set his living quarters on fire. At this time, Wright was in Chicago. His servant also axed those who tried to escape.

During the fire, Wright’s then-partner; Martha ‘Mamah’ Borthwick Cheney perished in the fire. Upon coming back Wright vowed to rebuild the residence in honour of Martha ‘Mamah’ Borthwick Cheney. Research shows that this particular residence was rebuilt twice.

4. He was a car collector in his adult life.

Frank was born two decades before the invention of automobiles. Despite this, he was a lover of automobiles and cars.

Frank owned more than 50 cars in his life. This is a clear indication that he loved cars and automobiles. All of his life, Lloyd Wright was a car enthusiast.

He foresaw how the automobile would alter the American landscape, and his designs reflect that foresight. Wright designed both for and around automobiles, and his masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum, owes its most distinctive features, the spiral of its rotunda, to his love for the automobile

5. Frank was against the American Institute of Architects

He preferred individualism and loathed the organization. Despite his enormous success and fame, he was a firm believer in autonomy and refused to join the American Institute of Architects.

 He called the organization ‘a harbour of refuge for the incompetent’. Frank failed to change his perspective on the organization even after he was awarded a gold medal by the organization in 1949.

6. Frank’s son invented Lincoln Log

Lincoln Log Photo By Jesse Weinstein – Wikimedia Commons

His second eldest son followed in his footsteps in the field of architecture.

Jon invented the now-iconic children’s toy in 1920, patterning the interconnecting kits after the construction processes employed in his father’s massive Imperial Hotel project, on which he assisted.

He invented the Lincoln Log after learning from Froebel’s gifts just like his father. The Lincoln log was designed for children to build structures.

7. Frank was interested and dealt with Japanese art

Wright’s attraction to Japan was centred on Japanese prints, but his interest in and knowledge of Japanese arts and culture were broad and deep.

 He admired this place, which he once called “the most romantic, creative, the nature-inspired country on the planet.” From physical reality to spiritual contact, Wright interacted with Japan on many levels.

His business on Japanese block prints was very successful. It’s stipulated that this Japanese block prints business earned more than his architectural practice.

8. Frank’s mother believed in his architectural destiny

Frank’s Studio overmantle Photo By AlasdairW – Wikimedia Commons

His mother believed that he was destined to be an architect. According to a 1998 biography, his mother predicted that he would grow up to create beautiful structures, even decorating his nursery with engravings of English churches to inspire him.

His mother taught him with geometric toys and Froebel’s Gifts block set; she also decorated his room with great pieces of architecture such as buildings to encourage this development.

9. Frank was invited to give a Soviet Union Speech

Frank initially refused to give the speech because he had pneumonia at that time. However, he later changed his mind and travelled to Moscow in June to give the speech.

Frank Lloyd Wright was in Moscow in June 1937 for the First All-Union Congress of Soviet Architects. His visit at the invitation of the Union of Soviet Architects is mostly, if not entirely, remembered as a result of the American’s frantic publicity, which included the publication of his memoirs. His visit’s nature has never been objectively documented before. In addition, due to a lack of expertise, a paper he delivered has remained unknown.

10. Frank was into fashion design

Frank designed dresses for his 3rd wife Olgivanna Lazovich Hinzenburg and his female clients. Wright’s attention to detail in organic architecture prompted him to create costumes for his wife and clients on occasion.”

In fact, Opening Ceremony, a New York-based fashion label, created its latest collection in 2015 to honour the American architect’s ability to harmonize the home with the natural environment.