Wright Organizations Offer Spring Tours
While winter seems determined to keep much of the country in its grasp, we have to remember what the poet Percy Shelley asked, “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”
And the staffs at the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust in Chicago and the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo have announced a series of spring tours which you may find interesting.
On Saturday, May 19, in the Chicago – Oak Park area you can experience the spectacular Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk, where you tour living spaces designed by Wright and his contemporaries, experience history and enjoy a festive day. Many guests make it a full weekend of architecture and design experiences by attending programs surrounding the Housewalk. For details, please go to the website for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust at https://flwright.org.
If you can’t make that particular date, there are daily tours of some of Wright’s most noted Chicago-area landmarks:
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park, IL
– Frank Lloyd Wright used his first home to experiment with design concepts that contain the seeds of his architectural philosophy. In his adjacent studio, Wright and his associates developed a new American architecture – the Prairie style. Trained interpreters offer insights into Wright’s family life and architectural career.
Robie House, 5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL
– Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House is both a masterpiece of the Prairie style and an icon of modern architecture. Trained interpreters offer insights into amazingly contemporary spaces designed by Wright over a hundred years ago. Visitors have an opportunity to observe the restoration going on and learn about the methods and processes through which a historic building is brought back to its original glory to inspire future generations.
Unity Temple, 875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL
– Unity Temple (1905-08) represents a defining moment in Frank Lloyd Wright’s early career. Designed in Wright’s Oak Park Studio for his own Unitarian congregation, it is one of the first public buildings in America to feature exposed concrete and is Wright’s greatest public building of his Prairie era. The harmony of the building’s strikingly geometric architecture and decorative elements exemplifies Wright’s theory of organic design. Unity Temple announced a new era of innovation in modern architecture.
Oak Park, Illinois
– Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of Wright-designed buildings. You can explore the Historic District surrounding the Home and Studio at your own pace on a self-guided audio tour. Tours feature the exteriors of a rich selection of architecturally significant buildings supplemented by archival photographs.
The Darwin Martin House Complex – Buffalo, NY
In Buffalo, NY, the 1904 Darwin Martin House is again open for tours. The staff will introduce visitors to Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative design concepts that defined his Prairie-style ideal. A certified docent will lead guests through the primary rooms of the main Martin House, the pergola, conservatory, and the carriage house. You can experience the harmony of Wright’s nature-inspired architecture, the connections made between interior and exterior spaces, and the pioneering methods of construction used in this outstanding residential complex. Explore the home’s beauty, described as a “domestic symphony,” which includes prime examples of Wright-designed furniture, art glass, and light fixtures.
In addition, on May 18-20, the staff at the Darwin Martin Complex has again arranged for a special tour of Wright’s famed Fallingwater residence outside Pittsburg, as well as guided visits to Polymath Park, Kentuck Knob, and private area homes. For details please go to www.Martinhouse.org
