Frank Lloyd Wright Creations in the South
I came across a brilliant piece by Paul Hendrickson, an author who teaches writing at the University of Pennsylvania in the December, 2019 issue of the Smithsonian magazine where Frank Lloyd Wright is described as “prickly, brilliant and deeply influential” in the sub-head.
That’s a bit of an understatement. Hendrickson describes him as, “the greatest architect this country has yet produced, was born two years after the end of the Civil War and died not quite two years after the launch of the world’s first satellite – or, 91 years and 10 months on planet Earth.
Wright was one of the most creative architectural geniuses of all time – photo courtesy of Smithsonian magazine, December 2019
His seven-decade career spanned the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries – a handful of his works didn’t get built until long after his death in 1959. This list of more than 1,100 designs includes: churches, schools, banks, museums, hotels, a synagogue, a skyscraper and more. But, overwhelmingly, they were houses, shelters for mankind – from the almost impossibly grand to the utilitarian bare, spare and functional – and all the more beautiful for such simplicity.
THE TERM FOR THIS HOUSE WAS “USONIAN”
No matter what he designed for a house – at the center of each one is this idea: Openness and flow, he was out to “break the box,” so he took out the attic and porch, pulled out the basement and made a single, spacious, harmonious unit of the living room, dining room and kitchen. Refining this further, he embedded a heating system within the concrete floor to provide radiant heat and built in the furniture and lighting.
The Fallingwater house was designed by Wright in 1935 – it is located in rural southwestern Pennsylvania – 43 miles southeast of Pittsburgh – photo courtesy of Smithsonian magazine, December 2019
THE ARCHITECT’S SOUTHERN PORTFOLIO
I’ve always associated Wright with the Midwest but it turns out that his collection of extraordinary residences and buildings in the South are worth taking into consideration. So I came up with a long list that I whittled down to this: (A) Two houses, (B) a plantation, (C) a college and (D) a theater for a total of five.
But then I decided to be fair and give everyone a chance at bat so I came up with five difference spots in the U.S., namely: (E) Virginia Beach, Virginia, (F) Yemassee, South Carolina, (G) Lakeland, Florida, (H) Florence, Alabama and (I) Dallas, Texas. Very democratic, very much the American way, don’t you think? (This took me so long I felt as if I’d lived in some of these spots!) Okay, let’s have a look.
Andrew & Maude Cooke House, Virginia Beach, Virginia
The planning for this house began in 1953 after the couple wrote to the architect and said, “Dear Mr. Wright, Will you please help us get the beautiful house we have dreamed of for so long?” This 3,000 sq. ft. jewel is set on the shores of Crystal Lake and boasts a solar hemicycle shape and a curved, brick-clad exterior with a cantilevered copper roof. It consists of a main house with brick and cypress walls BUT here’s the surprise: it also has a 40-ft. long sofa that Wright designed for the great room.
Auldbrass Plantation in Yemassee, South Carolina
This plantation includes: A main house with other structures that are nestled on a leafy plot in South Carolina’s Beaufort County. Wright famously designed the residence without any right angles saying that, “I was inspired by the lean of the live oak trees in this part of the country.”
Hexagonal shapes and inward-sloping walls define the house and the other one-storey structures: barn, stables, kennels and cabins. The 4,000-acre plantation is owned and was restored by film executive Joel Silver – it was later featured in Architectural Digest, 2007.
Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida
This is perhaps Wright’s most famous foray south of the Mason-Dixon line because it is the largest single-site collection of his work. This is an incredible 13-structure project that was erected from 1938 until after Wright’s death in 1959.
One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s creations at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida
The president of the school contacted the architect and asked for his assistance. He told him that his vision was “A temple of education in Florida” – Wright understood at once and created designs that are still considered unmatched and futuristic. He made plans for 18 structures and 12 were completed during his lifetime. The eye-popping Usonian House (a visitor’s center) was opened in 2013.
Stanley Rosenbaum House, Florence, Alabama
Like a mother hen, I thought I wouldn’t play favorites BUT I think this is it. This house is considered to be one of the finest examples of Wright’s Usonian homes. It was built in 1940 and sits on two acres just north of the Tennessee River.
The house, designed in a characteristic L-shape, is made from natural materials: cypress wood, brick and glass – and is capped by cantilevered roofs that cover both the living spaces and the adjoining carport. The Rosenbaums remained the sole owners and occupants of the house until 1999 when they donated it to the City of Florence. It is located at 601 Riverview Drive, Florence, Alabama 35630.
Kalita Humphreys Theater in Dallas, Texas
Located on Dallas’ famous Turtle Creek Boulevard, this theater was one of Wright’s final projects. It was built in 1959 and still produces original productions on a revolving stage.
The Kalita Humphreys Theater in Dallas, Texas
UPDATE #1 NOLA AS OF THE MONTH OF JUNE
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UPDATE #2 NYC AS OF 6/22
Phase 2 of the New York City Reopening started on Monday, June 22, 2020.
Fingers crossed for all!!
Shaun Nelson-Henrick