Since we're on the subject of Frank Lloyd Wright's son Lloyd, I thought I'd put up a couple more of his projects. Here's (above) his Samuel Navarro house in Los Feliz, only a short drive from the Sowden House. It's beautiful when seen from this angle.
From the road (above) it looks like an Art Deco fortress.
Unfortunately the beautiful trim (above) doesn't hold up under close inspection.
The interior (above) isn't much either. I wish I knew the story behind this. Who's at fault? My guess is that a later remodeling destroyed the original. I feel sorry for architects. No one would think of buying a Rembrandt and repainting it, yet great architecture is routinely modified to fit each new owner.
I like the modest spiral staircase (above) and thin iron gate.
Here's (above) Lloyd's breathtaking Wayfarer Chapel in Palas Verdes. It's mostly glass. A critic described it as having trees for walls and the sky for a ceiling.
While researching Lloyd I came across some interesting pictures of houses made by his dad. Wouldn't you kill to own this one (above)? How do you like the razor sharp angles? And isn't it amazing that he was able to combine so many styles? I see the German 19th century railroad station style combined with Mayan and Tudor. The wide, blocky porch area reminds me of Bejing's Forbidden City.
Above, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Alas, it no longer exists.
I like that band-of-squares decoration above the first floor windows (above). Other architects use patterns like that in moldings, but Wright uses them as sculptural elements.
Good for him! Here (above) he brings the roof down close to the ground where it belongs. Too long have we wasted beautiful roofs by putting them too high for people to see.
I assume every Theory Cornerite has a set of Froebbel blocks (above) on his coffee table. It's fun to build Frank Lloyd Wright forms with them.
I'd sure love to live in that wooden house.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had Forbbel blocks.
Good Lord! These houses are absolutely beautiful. Even though I'm not an architect nor do I have any desire to become one, this stuff really makes me wanna draw. Maybe when I'm old enough, I'll travel out to California just to see cool stuff like this.
ReplyDeleteSynchronicity is a funny thing. I'm reading a biography on Ayn Rand who wrote The Fountainhead whose main character is patterned after Frank Loyd Wright.
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested in the work of some of the other members of the Chicago School. Walter Burley Griffin and his wife Marion were especially famous alumni, particularly in Australia (having designed the capital city, as well as 350 other buildings or interiors). You can definitely see the Wright style.
ReplyDeleteJoel: I love The Fountainhead! When I got to the end I was infinitely sad because I knew I'd never see its like in my lifetime.
ReplyDeletePseudonym: Thanks for the tip about Walter Burley Griffin! I could only find exterior pictures. I wonder what the interiors were like.
What are your thoughts on Scott Mclouds understanding comics?
ReplyDeleteThe interior of the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne is Burley Griffin one interior I know of.
ReplyDeletehollyhockhouse
ReplyDeleteIn your area also. nice photo.
To me, Wright the Younger's designs seem a little over complicated and restless. Its a shame to have these buildings just be gutted, like in that one photo.
Anon: I haven't read Understanding Comics. What do you think of it?
ReplyDeletePseudo:The one photo I saw of that interior looked interesting!
Thomas: Ah, yes...the Hollyhock House. I'll have to look for more pictures.