150th Anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright: A Look Inside the Architecture

Join us by celebrating the 150th anniversary of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday by taking a close look at some of his most well known interior spaces. These photos show how the American architect (1876-1959) used architectural motifs in his interior spaces.

1. The Hollyhock House (1921)



The living room of Hollyhock centers around a massive concrete fireplace, whose abstract sculpting is naturally illuminated by the leaded glass skylight above it. The geometric ceiling, although not curved, is geometrically sloped in a way that accentuates the concrete crafting.



The hearth originally had a water moat, which was not a typical element of a Wright design—although the notion of water surrounding fire adheres to Wright's fascination with Oriental philosophies of nature and feng shui.



Frank Lloyd Wright entered the Los Angeles, California market by designing this residence for the wealthy, bohemian oil heiress Louise Aline Barnsdall. Hollyhock plants were her favorite flowers, and Wright incorporated the flower design throughout the house.





2. The Wingspread (1939)



The home of the President of Johnson Wax, Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr. (1899-1978), is no ordinary home, but that may be a good thing. The large interior allows us to easily see many of the elements common to Frank Lloyd Wright's interiors.



Some of these elements include:

• central fireplace and chimney
• skylights
• clerestory windows
• built-in furnishings
• open spaces filled with natural light
• open floor plan with a lack of distinction (e.g., walls) between spaces
• coexistence of curves (e.g., chimney, black metal stairway) and straight lines (e.g., chimney brick, ceiling beams, banding)
• use of natural construction materials (e.g., wood, stone)
• synchronicity of dramatic vertical elements (e.g., chimney and spiral stairs) with the horizontal elements (e.g., bricks)

Many of these elements are found in Wright's smaller residences as well as commercial buildings.



3. The Frederic C. Robie House (1910)



Walls of windows, a central fireplace, leaded glass ornamentation, and open, undefined space are obvious elements in the living room of what many consider Wright's most famous house.



Early photographs indicate that Wright's original design included an inglenook near the chimney. This built-in seating area near the chimney corner (ingle is a Scottish word for fire) is being restored in the East Living Room as part of the Robie House Interior Restoration Project.



The chairs are similar to the side chairs Wright designed for his own home and studio.





4. The Rosenbaum House (1939)



The interior of the house Wright built for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum of Florence, Alabama is similar to many other Usonian homes. 



Built-in book shelves, a line of clerestory windows on the topside of the wall, the use of brick and wood, the aura of Cherokee red color throughout—all define Wright's style of harmony.



The large red floor tiles in the Rosenbaum House, the only Wright home in Alabama, are very typical of Wright's interior aesthetic and can even be found in more elegant mansions such as Wingspread.





5. The Unity Temple (1908)



Wright's use of poured concrete to build the famous structure known as Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois was and still is a revolutionary construction choice.



Frank Lloyd Wright had just turned 40 years old when his Unitarian church was completed. The interior design solidified his ideas about space.



Repeated forms, open areas, natural light, Japanese-type hanging lanterns, leaded glass, horizontal / vertical banding, creating a sense of peace, spirituality, and harmony—all elements common to Wright's creation of sacred spaces.





6. The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (1889)



Early in his career, Wright experimented with architectural themes in his own home.



Wright had to have been aware of the great arches being constructed by Henry Hobson Richardson at Trinity Church in Boston. Wright's genius was to bring exterior elements like Richardsonian Romanesque semi-circular arches, to the interior.



The central fireplace, sculpted mantel, natural lighting, leaded glass skylight, use of natural stone and wood, bands of color, and curved architecture are all examples of Wright's interior style—a design approach he would express throughout his career.



7. The Dana-Thomas House (1902)



Even before the architect's involvement with the Hollyhock heiress, Frank Lloyd Wright had established his reputation and style with a Springfield, Illinois house built for heiress Susan Lawrence Dana.



Wright's Prairie-style features are found within the interior (view larger image) of the massive residence—central fireplace, curved ceiling, rows of windows, open floor plan, leaded glass.





8. The Johnson Was Buildings (1939 and 1950)



The enclosed passageways of translucent glass with bands of color contrast with the nearby brick but mimic the arch designs found in Wright's own home. 



The S.C. Johnson company, five miles south of Wingspread in Racine, Wisconsin, continues to celebrate Wright's nontraditional approach to an industrial campus.





9. Fallingwater (1935)

Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania may look like a loose pile of concrete slabs about to topple into the stream—but there is no danger of that! The slabs are actually anchored through the stonework of the hillside. Also, the largest and heaviest portion of the house is at the rear, not over the water. And, finally, each floor has its own support system.



When you enter the recessed front door of Fallingwater, your eye is first drawn to a far corner, where a balcony overlooks the waterfall.



To the left, groups of seating offer scenic views.





10. The Kentuck Knob (1954)



The mountain retreat Wright built for I.N. and Bernardine Haganin grows out of the Pennsylvania woodlands. The porch of wood, glass, and stone extends the living area into its natural surroundings, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior space. 



Overhangs provide protection, but cut outs allow light and air to enter the entryway.



These are all common elements, themes, that we see over and over again in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Find out more about Frank Lloyd Wright at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation website here!