words and photos by: Scot Zimmerman
It’s the 150th year since Frank Lloyd Wright’s birth, and there are big celebrations across the country. America’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright innovated designs and the use of new materials and developed an architectural philosophy around Organic Architecture.
I am consistently moved by Wright’s genius when I photograph his work. With the 150-year anniversary, many more of his projects should be open for tours, and with his fame, more homes are now open to the public.
Here is a quick tour of some of the projects.
This is the Walker Home in Carmel, which is set at the water’s edge and visible from the beach. It has just been listed on the National Historic Registry, and preservationists are seeking funds to maintain the stonework. The unique stone balcony reaches out to sea like the prow of a ship. It is frequently included in Carmel’s annual heritage home tour.
The David Wright home in Phoenix, designed for Mr. Wright’s son, was the subject of a recent controversial struggle for preservation, as a development sought to demolish it. The home was saved.
The Aline Barnsdale Hollyhock House in Los Angeles reopened two years ago to public tours after extensive renovations and seismic work. It is a wonderful example of the LA area concrete block homes of the 1920s.
The Marin County Civic Center is a public building in San Raphael, California. There are both docent and self-guided tours.
The Harold Price Home in Phoenix is open for public tours. The home’s design demonstrates great efficiency for natural cooling, which I experienced when making the photographs prior to the Price family opening the home to the public.
Informative tours are available for Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and school in Scottsdale, Arizona. The tours explain how the fellowship travelled from Spring Green Wisconsin to Scottsdale, and one can see some of the shelters the students build in the desert.
Many have remarked on the similarities between the VC Morris gift shop, located along Maiden Lane in downtown San Francisco, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. I understand the gallery is closed, but it is an easy building to visit and to see some attractive art pieces.