Frank Lloyd Wright

Prairie Style Architecture

Importance of Prairie Architecture in Chicago Area

One of the few architectural styles born in America Influenced by the landscape of the prairie Began in Chicago with Louis Sullivan Made popular by Frank Lloyd Wright

Essentially the “father” of the Prairie style

Childhood

Born in Wisconsin in 1867 and influenced by the landscape there.

Worked on a farm as a young boy Loved the low rolling hills of the Wisconsin prairie Thrilled by the changing seasonal colors in nature Delighted in the simple shapes he found in nature

Small spheres in a peapod Straight rows of square kernels in corn Patterns in freshly tilled soil and rock layers

Chicago

At age 20, moved to Chicago where Chicago architects were leading the way in developing new architectural ideas – skyscrapers

Worked for Louis Sullivan for 5 years Auditorium (largest building in Chicago at the

time) World’s Fair, 1893 Home plan

Lived and worked in Oak Park, Il

Wright’s View on His Homes

Wanted his homes to remind him of the shapes and colors of nature that he loved on the farm in Wisconsin designed in a style that was harmonious with nature’s

colors and shapes Wanted them to reflect the freedom to move around in America’s

great open spaces Wanted them to provide security and happiness to those who

lived in them

Did not want to simply design a house, but create a complete environment

Prairie Style Architecture

Moving away from the very ornate Victorian styles imported from Europe and very popular at the turn of the century Thought they were big, overly decorated, boxed–

in and confining

Envisioned a radical new design, a modern house that took into consideration the whole environment inside and outside.

Prairie Style Features

Open floor plan Low pitched roof Overhanging eaves Horizontal lines Central chimney Small rows of banded windows Art glass Natural building materials such as wood & brick

Open Floor Plan

Made homes look bigger by using wide openings Main living area opened up into one large space

Designed furniture with simple lines and joined the furniture into the house

Built bookshelves, tables, benches into the house

Low Pitched Roof/Overhanging Eaves

Low horizontal lines meant to blend in with the flat landscape that surrounded them.

No attics– roof hugged the top of the house and pushed out beyond the walls as though they were reaching for the ground

No basements – gave appearance to be planted in the ground

Fireplaces

Heart of the family and placed them in the center of the main living room Gathering place for the family

Windows

Bands of horizontal windows looked like ribbons of glass wrapped around the house

Would design them so sun would shine in them in the winter and not in the summer – always thinking how the natural setting would affect the building

Windows

Textured with softly colored stained glass designs that Frank drew from patterns found in nature

Natural Building Materials

Wood and brick Colors looked like what they were naturally and were not painted Patios and terraces planted with flowers, gardens and bushes

helped the house blend in with the landscape

Playroom

Always designed a special place for children

Prairie Style Houses in Hinsdale As Prairie Style caught on and became more

popular, Hinsdale residents had homes designed for them

“The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built.”

• Frank Lloyd Wright