racine, wisconsin, USA

Frank Lloyd Wrightarchitect

Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr.client

Wright wanted it to be a "living" building, a free and open space that would be a stimulating place to work. Later, he said of this building "There in the Johnson Building you catch no sense of enclosure whatever at any angle, top or sides....Interior space comes free, you are not aware of any boxing in at all. Restricted space simply is not there. Right there where you've always experienced this interior constriction you take a look at the sky!"

In short: No sense of enclosure whatever at any angle, top or sides…. Always experienced a look at

the sky.

“The goodwill of the people is the only enduring thing in any business. It is the sole

substance...the rest is shadow.”

No sense of enclosure whatever at any angle, top or sides…. Always experienced a look at the sky.

Johnson Wax Headquarters is the world

headquarters and administration building of S.

C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin. Also

known as the Johnson Wax Administration

Building.

In 1935, Herbert Johnson wanted to construct

new offices to give his company a more modern

image. He sought the help of Frank Wright. The

company wanted the project to project the

American dream, where the workers are happy

and are united as one family. The Johnson

Building and tower are on the register of

National Historic Places. The building and the

tower were chosen by the Institute of Architects

to be retained as examples of the architect's

contribution to American culture. In 1976, both

buildings were designated Historic Landmarks.

In 2008, both the building and the tower were

submitted, along with nine other Wright

properties, to a tentative list for Heritage Status.Johnson Wax Headquarter

Features of the Administration Building (1939):

a. Half-acre open space workroom with mushroom-like column supports

b. Circular elevators

that run from the

basement to top level

c. 43 miles of Pyrex glass tubes allow light in, but these

"windows" are not transparent

d. More than 40 different pieces of furniture designed by Wright. Some chairs had

only three legs and would tip over if workers became forgetful.

Also known as Hollow Brick

e. Dominant color: Cherokee Red

Features of the Research Tower (1950):

a. 153 feet tall

b. 14 floors

c. A central core (13 feet in diameter and 54 feet into the ground) supports the

cantilevered floors. Wright's Tower design is a precursor to Japanese metabolism

architecture.

Technical Evaluation:a. Sweeping curves with "Cherokee red" bricks for the interior and exteriorb. Dendriform columns with steel-reinforced

c. All of the furniture, manufactured by Steelcase

d. The ceiling is forming with skylights made of Pyrex

glass tubing

Cultural & Aesthetic:The choice of common brick for both the exterior and interior walls of the building was made by Wright in order to make the walls as monolithic as possible responding to his ideas toward an organic design where form didn’t follow function and function didn’t follow form but rather the function and form were made to be inseparable from each other. The specific choice of dark red brick for the buildings was in response to the surrounding neighborhood’s use of a similar brick color. In removing all punctured windows from the building’s facades, Wright claimed that he was using bricks as bricks rather than glass as bricks. The interaction between the tower and the columned hall has been seen to have its priority in religious architecture rather than in office buildings. Japanese religious complexes bear the strongest comparisons with their emphasis on horizontality and their form of a colonnaded single story structure surrounding a quiet courtyard and the prayer pagoda.

Historical:

Both the administration building and research tower were willingly received by the

public and the Johnson Wax Company employees alike. It was praised for both its

overall quality of construction and its innovations in architectural and engineering

design. In 1979, S.C. Johnson’s president, Samuel Johnson, spoke of how the

company transformed the day that Wright’s building opened because it was through

the building that the company gained international attention and inherited a symbol of

quality that translated to their products and the working environment as well.

Innovation : Dendriform columnsLocation : Racine, WI

Year : 1936Inventor : Frank Lloyd Wright

Wright was inspired to create the dendriform columns by observing that trees in a forest generate space and allows light to enter easily.

The columns 21 feet high, 31 feet in the lobby, tapering from 22-inch

diameter at the top to a 9-inch bronze base. Within was hidden a

rainwater pipe, which was intended to avoid water leaks. Wright

intuitively drafted the conoid form that exactly follow the line of

stresses from roof to base. He made the upper part of the column

hollow, its walls only 3.5 inches thick, and continued them into the

2.5 inch thick petal with its supporting ribs.

Refusing to accept the engineering calculations, the building

department demanded that the new column be tested with a load of

24,000 pounds, twice the full design load. A crane dumped load after

load of pig iron on the column. When the load reached the 24,000

pound required, Wright insisted they keep going and see how far the

column could go before the point of destruction. At 60 tons, it was

carrying 5 times the test requirements. This new technology proved

Wright’s ability to design a practical column without limiting its

aesthetic design.

Architect

Location

Date

Building Type

Construction System

Architectural Style

Materials

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:

:

:

:

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Frank Lloyd Wright

Racine, Wisconsin

1936 to 1939 and 1944 timeline

Corporate offices and research laboratory

Precast concrete and brick

Centuries American Movements, Modern.

Steel-reinforced, brick, glass, White stone

Design and Constructiona. It has more than 200 types of curved bricks that make up the exterior of the building and tubing made from Pyrex glass running from the ceiling to let in light.b. The light shines into the building through the several layers of glass tubing, but cannot be seen through.

c. The colors Wright chose for the building Cherokee red for the furniture and floors,

and cream for the mortar and columns.

d. The entry way consists of gorgeous brass lined windows and revolving doors.

e. Compression and release of space was the concept Wright used in this design.

f. The low ceilings in the parking lot created the compression of space and the rise of

the ceilings when one enters the building created the release of space. Before

entering the building it is somewhat compressed with a dark and low ceiling parking

garage and upon

entering the building

the space releases

into a large open

entrance. This

concept is

remarkable.

g. The Great Workroom has no internal walls and is the largest expanse of space in the

Johnson Building.

h. The construction created great controversies for the architect. At that time, the columns

at first did not meet with building codes.

i. Additionally, it was hard to seal the glass tubing installed in the roof to prevent leaking.

N.B. : In spite of these problems, Johnson was extremely pleased with the design. Therefore, in 1944, he commissioned Wright to design the 14 story Research Tower. When the tower was added the building was made even more impressive. Although the tower is no longer in use due to the changes in safety codes, the company is committed to preserving the tower.

Current Use

The Johnson Wax Building located in

Racine, Washington and currently still is

the administration building and

headquarters, as well as a research

laboratory for the company Johnson &

Son. It has been a family run business for

more than 100 years.

Reception DeskWith Atrium…….

Presented By :1. Name : Shahnaz Parvin

ID : 201232016001

2. Name : Md. Kamal Hossain

ID : 201312017018

Department of architectureSubject : History of Architecture – iv