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.

There Will Be Owls

The cranky gallery girl is off to Detroit, Michigan and environs to explore the once glorious (and sadly, the now officially bankrupt) mid-western metropolis that brought us the automobile, the Motown sound and Cranbrook which is where this story begins. 

The Cranbrook educational campus was founded in 1904 by newspaper mogul George Booth in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills.  The sprawling campus is known for its architecture in the Arts and Crafts style and was designed primarily by Albert Kahn and Eliel Saarinen.  It's sprawling campus consists of the Cranbrook middle and high schools, The Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Cranbrook Art Museum, the Cranbrook Institute of Science and the Cranbrook House. All of these institutions sit on 319 acres of lush gardens, outdoor sculpture and beautiful vistas.  While I had heard of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, I had absolutely no idea of it's rich history and legacy of art and design in Michigan and beyond.  Today I visited the museum and it's current exhibition Michigan Modernism: Design that Shaped America and yes, in the end, there will be owls.

The Smith House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1941. Interestingly, the Smiths were Lithuanian, Jewish immigrants (original named Smiefsky) and teachers in the Detroit public school system.  It was Mr. Smith's dream to have a Frank Lloyd Wright house and despite their teacher's salary, they were able to build the house in stages and achieve his dream.  Like most Frank Lloyd Wright homes, it is built in a beautiful setting, beside one of Michigan's many ponds.

Sculpture by Robert Schefman

And last but certainly not least, here are the magnificent owls that have been rescued and are lovingly cared for by the Cranbrook Science Center staff.  What a beautiful surprise they were.