I think for an architect to be considered great his/her designs have to pass the test of time. Most of his houses are falling apart. Falling water should have been named “Falling into the water”. As far as him being a jerk: he used to sneak into his client’s houses and rearrange the furniture. He also built to his bodily proportions. He was 5’8 1/2”. He once told a taller associate: “ sit down, you are ruining the proportions of my architecture”
Thanks for this video! The interior of many or his homes (prairie style) are warm, intimate, and serene, with all of that amber colored glass and wood. Some are inviting and some are not. Evil genius? Maybe. Sad that he left his first wife and six kids for a clients wife. Very talented but unrelenting.
Frank was a mean person. He abandoned his wife and 4 children. None of Frank's houses were ever meant to be liived in, they were all horrible floor plans. The only style of home that was worthwhile was the praire style but again, Frank never once designed one to be lived in. The man has always been overated.
Good comment. I don’t agree totally and hope to explain why. I won’t comment on his personal life because I don’t know enough about it to make a reasoned comment; people do leave their children but I’ve never found an adequate reason for that. The very best architects combine form and function. FLW was, in my view, a master of form; and, quite often, very poor in function. I’ve been to the Meyer May house and each room, when taken in isolation is, again my view, stunning. When working with other rooms, I just thought that they didn’t flow in any way. Incidentally, I know that Steelcase (who produced a famous office chair and desk for FLW) spent a lot of money restoring that house; good for them. I’ve also been to the Johnson Wax building that FLW designed - the one with “lily pad” columns. Stunning again. I can’t comment on its function because I think you would have to know more about and/or work in it to make that judgement. So, for me, great form - very much in my taste; function - not so good. Is he a man that I would like to meet and/or have worked with? No; his arrogance might have meant that he got to see his floor intimately; face down. Overrated? That’s difficult because everybody should be making their own ratings; so, in the mind of Brent, he’s clearly not without fault; in my mind, he is a person to learn some things from but ignore others. I would only suggest that you don’t take his work as all great or all dreadful.
@@loafandjug321 I appreciate your comment and have no real basis to agree or disagree. As a student of Sullivan, I would guess that FLW would be influenced by Sullivan and, perhaps, FLW influenced Sullivan. Certainly, in the UK, there were leaders of the Arts and Crafts movements (plural on purpose) but, as most of them were acquaintances, it seems very probable that ideas flowed between them. I’m not sure it’s much different with Stickley. He was obviously influenced by the UK Arts and Crafts movements when he came to the UK, taking ideas back to the USA. These ideas were then evolved by Stickley and others. I see no issue with that or the Sullivan/FLW influencing. Perhaps it’s my age but I tend to think that very few people are totally without blemish or totally malign; it seems that you find no redeeming qualities in the man or his work; that’s your prerogative but I am much more inclined to think there is a balance of good and bad.
Wright was an egomaniac, a narcissist, or just a nasty bastard !! He did not design homes for people to live in but rather monuments or trophies to himself !! As Mr.Hull stated wright was overbearing with his clients to an extreme !! The main reason I am not impressed with wright and disagree with the accolades that he receives is that he does not represent what or who an Architect should be to a client coming to them for any new project either residential or commercial !!
I've been reading a lot about Wright. There is no doubt he was a creative force. His many different design eras (Prairie, Usonian, Modern, etc.) cannot be matched by any other architect I can think of. As for being a jerk, well...
I think for an architect to be considered great his/her designs have to pass the test of time. Most of his houses are falling apart. Falling water should have been named “Falling into the water”. As far as him being a jerk: he used to sneak into his client’s houses and rearrange the furniture. He also built to his bodily proportions. He was 5’8 1/2”. He once told a taller associate: “ sit down, you are ruining the proportions of my architecture”
Those are great stories, I haven't heard the last one. thanks for sharing.
I believe his design has stood the test of time whether his houses did or not.
So with today’s technology, would new build with his plans be energy efficient? Was he just ahead of his time?
Good question. I suspect not. He cared more about design than function. Thanks for your question.
Thanks for this video! The interior of many or his homes (prairie style) are warm, intimate, and serene, with all of that amber colored glass and wood. Some are inviting and some are not. Evil genius? Maybe. Sad that he left his first wife and six kids for a clients wife. Very talented but unrelenting.
agreed. Thanks for watching.
Frank was a mean person. He abandoned his wife and 4 children. None of Frank's houses were ever meant to be liived in, they were all horrible floor plans. The only style of home that was worthwhile was the praire style but again, Frank never once designed one to be lived in. The man has always been overated.
Good comment. I don’t agree totally and hope to explain why. I won’t comment on his personal life because I don’t know enough about it to make a reasoned comment; people do leave their children but I’ve never found an adequate reason for that.
The very best architects combine form and function. FLW was, in my view, a master of form; and, quite often, very poor in function. I’ve been to the Meyer May house and each room, when taken in isolation is, again my view, stunning. When working with other rooms, I just thought that they didn’t flow in any way. Incidentally, I know that Steelcase (who produced a famous office chair and desk for FLW) spent a lot of money restoring that house; good for them.
I’ve also been to the Johnson Wax building that FLW designed - the one with “lily pad” columns. Stunning again. I can’t comment on its function because I think you would have to know more about and/or work in it to make that judgement.
So, for me, great form - very much in my taste; function - not so good. Is he a man that I would like to meet and/or have worked with? No; his arrogance might have meant that he got to see his floor intimately; face down.
Overrated? That’s difficult because everybody should be making their own ratings; so, in the mind of Brent, he’s clearly not without fault; in my mind, he is a person to learn some things from but ignore others. I would only suggest that you don’t take his work as all great or all dreadful.
@@theofarmmanager267 Frank clearly copied praire style rooflines from Louis Sullivan commercial buildings.
@@loafandjug321 I appreciate your comment and have no real basis to agree or disagree. As a student of Sullivan, I would guess that FLW would be influenced by Sullivan and, perhaps, FLW influenced Sullivan. Certainly, in the UK, there were leaders of the Arts and Crafts movements (plural on purpose) but, as most of them were acquaintances, it seems very probable that ideas flowed between them. I’m not sure it’s much different with Stickley. He was obviously influenced by the UK Arts and Crafts movements when he came to the UK, taking ideas back to the USA. These ideas were then evolved by Stickley and others. I see no issue with that or the Sullivan/FLW influencing.
Perhaps it’s my age but I tend to think that very few people are totally without blemish or totally malign; it seems that you find no redeeming qualities in the man or his work; that’s your prerogative but I am much more inclined to think there is a balance of good and bad.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks
Being a creative “genius“ aside, FLW sounds like a real pecker head.
HaHa, there is a growing consensus that you are right.
Wright was an egomaniac, a narcissist, or just a nasty bastard !! He did not design homes for people to live in but rather monuments or trophies to himself !! As Mr.Hull stated wright was overbearing with his clients to an extreme !! The main reason I am not impressed with wright and disagree with the accolades that he receives is that he does not represent what or who an Architect should be to a client coming to them for
any new project either residential or commercial !!
I've been reading a lot about Wright. There is no doubt he was a creative force. His many different design eras (Prairie, Usonian, Modern, etc.) cannot be matched by any other architect I can think of. As for being a jerk, well...