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Frank Lloyd Wright: The Masterworks
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Product Description
In entirely new photographs taken especially for this book by two leading architectural photographers under the direction of co-editor David Larkin, such internationally famous buildings as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater and Wright's homes Taliesin, Taliesin West, and the Oak Park Home and Studio are seen afresh, benefiting from the photographers' special access.
Several lesser-known residences, such as Auldbrass Plantation in South Carolina, an array of wooden buildings that is Wright's American alternative to antebellum architecture, the William H. Winslow house in River Forest, Illinois, one of the architect's earliest and most surprisingly decorative houses, and the Kenneth Laurent house in Rockford, Illinois, a masterful curvilinear design, are seen in full color and demonstrate dimensions of Wright's work less often seen before. Public buildings, such as the dramatic concrete, glass, and steel Marin County Civic Center and Beth Sholom Synagogue show Wright as engineering virtuoso as well as creative architect. In addition to these existing masterworks, only the most famous of which are open to the public, the book covers buildings that have been demolished, notably the Larkin Company Administration Building, Midway Gardens, and the Imperial Hotel, which are represented here by drawings and rich archival photographs.
Each of the buildings is presented from conceptual sketch, plan, or drawing to finished masterwork, and each is accompanied by an in-depth essay detailing the development of the work. Extensive quotes from Wright's writings, unpublished talks, and private letters to the clients give valuable insight into the architect's own thinking about each commission. Never before has Wright's architecture been presented so elaborately in one volume.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #37906 in Books
- Published on: 1993-09-15
- Released on: 1993-09-15
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 312 pages
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Wright, as Pfeiffer notes, was primarily a residential architect, and this stunning survey of 38 of his most influential buildings reveals how he created new patterns of living through rooms that open into one another and walls that reach out to engulf gardens and plantings. That the Wisconsin-born pioneer of organic architecture was also an innovative engineer emerges in discussions of Manhattan's Guggenheim Museum with its curved elements, the tripod design of Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, Pa., and the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, Calif., featuring a circular public library at the hub of administrative buildings ensconced in the hills. Wright's home and studio in Oak Park, Ill., the "Fallingwater" house in Mills Run, Pa., and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo are among the projects selected by Pfeiffer, editor of Wright's Collected Writings and author of many books about him. Nearly all of the buildings were newly photographed for this book, which features 275 color plates, including Wright's beautiful working drawings and plans. BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Wright has been the subject of numerous books, illustrative and historical, popular and scholarly, but Larkin and Pfeiffer have still succeeded in creating something fresh and exciting. This handsome volume presents brand-new photographs of and lucid critical commentary on 38 of Wright's most significant buildings, including such famous public structures as the Unity Temple (1905) in Oak Park, Illinois, and New York's Guggenheim Museum (1943-59), as well as lesser-known but stunning private homes. This selection embraces Wright's entire career, from the early prairie style to the adventurous creations of the 1940s and 1950s. The process of design for each masterwork is documented from Wright's earliest conceptual sketches to his polished drawings, which are works of art in their own right. Some black-and-white photographs of buildings under construction are provided, but the book's strongest visual components are the grand color photographs. The shots were composed to capture the unique aesthetic of each structure's exterior and interior, from its orientation to the land to its elegant decorative detail and dramatic use of natural light. A liberal sampling of excerpts from Wright's writings and correspondence adds to this volume's authority and value. Donna Seaman
About the Author
Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer was an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright and is currently a trustee and Director of the Archives for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the author of Frank Lloyd Wright Drawings and Treasures of Taliesin and editor of the highly praised series The Collected Writings of Frank Lloyd Wright.
David Larkin is the co-author and designer of such celebrated illustrated books as Classic America and Shaker and publisher of Barn and Wooden Ship.
Paul Rocheleau and Michael Freeman have contributed the new photography included in this book.
Customer Reviews
A brief comment
I've seen a lot of books on Wright over the years, and read a number of them, but for sheer enjoyment and the celebration of his work, this work is the best I've seen. It strikes the best balance between the photos and text, but the photos are truly magnificent and worth the price of the book by themselves. Much of the information, as another reviewer has commented, is available in other books on Wright, so there might not be that much new here for the Wright expert, but for those not steeped in Wright scholarship, this book is as good as any to learn about his architecture, philosophy, and life. Thirty-eight of Wright's most important buildings are covered, equally divided between his private and public buildings. Overall, probably the best single book out there on Wright to gain an understanding and appreciation of his work for the general reader.
By the way, just today we toured Taliesen, in Phoenix, AZ. It's a great tour if you ever get to the area and are a fan of Wright's buildings. Perhaps that's why I was inspired to write the review. :-)
I love all things FLLW
The pictures are marvelous and the content is more than the usual re-written information. i have really enjoyed this book.
The best overview of Frank Lloyd Wright's greatest designs
No one book could capture the full range of Frank Lloyd Wright's brilliance and versatility, but this one comes close! If you're a fan of the man who was arguably the 20th century's greatest architect, this book is a must-have. It covers his design philosophy, and shows how that philosophy was manifested, from Wright's preliminary sketches to great photos of the finished structures. A visual treat and an invaluable reference work.
