Frank Lloyd Wright Presentation Michael Jourgensen HUM2230 Prof. Lindsey Smitherman-Brown

2. THE EARLY YEARS
Frank Lloyd Wright
- Born in 1867 in Richland Center,
Wisconsin
- Father, William Wright
- Orator, Minister, Music Teacher,
Lawyer
- Mother, Anna Lloyd Jones
- School Teacher
Education:
- University of Wisconsin,
Madison (never graduated)
- Member of Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity

3. FINDING HIS FIRE
- Wright first developed his love and passion for
architecture when he was a college student at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- In 1887, Wright left the University before acquiring his
degree and moved to Chicago, IL.
- Wright first described the big city as having “grimy
neighborhoods, crowded streets, and disappointing
architecture” (Wikipedia).
- After arriving in Chicago, Wright bounced around
between a few architectural firms before settling at the
then prestigious firm, Adler and Sullivan.

4. - Wright’s mentor Louis Sullivan,
of Adler and Sullivan, had
taught Wright the simple mantra
of, “form follows function,”
- After being taught that simple
adage, Wright coined the term,
“Organic Architecture”
- Definition: Organic-
characteristic of, pertaining to,
or derived from living organisms
(Dictionary.com)
- Wright was not talking about
nature or living organisms when
he said “Organic Architecture”.
He was talking about it being an
organic thought. One that
nobody else had thought of, he
talked about embracing the
materials for what they were
and not making them do
anything that they didn’t
naturally do
“FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION”

5. THE NATURAL FLOW
- Wright believed that the
buildings and homes should flow
with the landscape and appears
natural within the environment,
not intrusive .
- Architecture had a direct
relationship between the site it
was being built on and the time,
in which it was built, there was a
harmony that connected the
buildings with the natural world
around them.

6. FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, A TRUE OPTIMIST
In 1939, Wright was asked if any of his clients had bad taste,
and if so, how did he try and steer them clear of it. His
response was a testament to his character and his
beliefs, he said “Even if he wanted bad ones he could find
only good ones because in an organic architecture, that
is to say an architecture based upon organic ideals, bad
design would be unthinkable” (pbs.org)
This quote could be used to sum up his entire career. He
was always able to find take the bad, find the good, and
make it beautiful.

7. THE LEGACY LIVES ON
Wright’s legacy lives on today as several
of his works are still around and used
everyday. Some of them have even been
preserved as National Landmarks.
Here’s a look at some of his more famous
accomplishments…

8. FALLING WATER - commissioned to build for the Kaufmann family
somewhere between 1936-1939
- Wright felt as though the waterfall was
something that the family should become one
with and deal with everyday, not something that
they would occasionally look out the window
and see.
- The house was lived in by members of the
Kaufmann family up until 1963 when Edgar
Kaufmann, Jr. entrusted the site to the Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy.
- Since opening their doors as a museum 4.5
million people have gone through their doors to
experience the history of the home.
- It is still equipped with all of the original
furnishings, art, and household objects that the
Kaufmann family left when they entrusted the
home.
- The home was featured on the cover of Time
Magazine in January 1938
- Fun Facts:
- - Total cost: $155,000
- - 5330 Square Feet
- - Guest house constructed in 1939

9. FALLING WATER

10. THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
- Wright passed away before the construction of
the building was completed
- Commissioned in 1943 by Solomon R.
Guggenheim to house his “Four Year Old
Museum of Non-Objective Painting”
- Wright had a specific idea for how he wanted
visitors to experience the museum. He
designed the Guggenheim for visitors to walk
in, take an elevator to the top floor, the walk, at
their own pace, down the spiral ramp all the
while viewing the displayed artwork. The
galleries would be separated but the rotunda,
in the middle, would afford the visitors the
opportunity to see the different sections
simultaneously.
- The building was completed in 1959

11. THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

12. THE SPRING HOUSE
The Spring House is the only house Frank
Lloyd Wright built in the state of Florida.
- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Contractor: Jack culpepper
- Style: Hemicycle
- Completed in 1954
- The house was number 349 of 400
completed projects by Frank Lloyd
Wright
- The house was lived in by the family until
2010
- Construction of the home was done in 10
months by only 6 people
- Primary building materials: limestone,
concrete (Ocala Red), wood
- Listed as 1 of 11 endangered historic
places in America

13. THE SPRING HOUSE

14. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Elman, Kimberly. "Frank Lloyd Wright and the Principles of Organic
Architecture." Pbs.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
"Frank Lloyd Wright." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 16 Apr.
2015.
"Guggenheim." The Frank Lloyd Wright Building. Guggenheim.org, n.d.
Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
"What Is Fallingwater?" Fallingwater. Fallingwater.org, n.d. Web. 16 Apr.
2015.