Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie Style.

During our time in Chicago we toured several important Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.  The Robie House (1908-1910) which is now located on the campus of the University of Chicago is considered to be one of the ten most important homes in America.  The long horizontal lines are a key characteristic of Wright's revolutionary "prairie style," the first architectural style considered to be uniquely American.

The Robie House as seen in 1963.

Having a 3 car garage (now the gift shop) in 1910 was considered extremely modern.

The renovation of the living room is still a work in progress but you can see in this photo how the multiple windows on every wall bring the light and outside landscape inside the structure.

The stained glass windows, light fixtures and the furniture are all FLW  design elements.


Being Lloyd Wright inspired, we also ventured on to his home and studio in Oak Park, a beautiful, leafy suburb of Chicago.  Wright's home was built prior to the Robie house (1889-1898) and he used it as a laboratory to experiment with new architectural ideas. A visitor can see the progression of Wright's work from the Sullivan-esque style (Wright worked in Louis Sullivan's architectural firm at the time) to his signature Prairie style.  This progression is particularly noticeable when visiting the studio, which was added on to the the house in 1898.

 Certain elements of Wright's mature style are already in evidence in his home, such as the Inglenook (above) and the self-designed dining chairs and art glass (below)

        

The entrance to Wright's studio features his name and various allegorical symbols. 

The studio used many architectural innovations to create a light-filled and inspirational environment for focused, collaborative work.