Lloyd Wrights Architecture - Essay Example

Lloyd Wright’s architecture Architecture is the art of designing structures or producing plans to guide the actual constructions. Architecture is one of the traditional professions and it has evolved in various ways, although the basics are same. The element of modern and postmodern architect is one of the results of the evolutions in architecture. This discourse is about Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. It uses Adolf Loos and Robert Venturi writings to describe its modern or postmodern features. Taliesin is a famous structure that was designed by famous and respected the late Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It s located about 4 Km away from Spring Green, in the United States ( Whiffen and Koeper 2008). Wright designed the house after he was forced to move out of his house to his marital wrangles. Taliesin III is the latest version of the Taliesin series and it consist of private museum, storehouses, imperial hotel and falling water among other features. Furthermore, the structure has unique and fine Asian art and decorations and this makes it a huge center of attraction. Currently, it has been renovated and is one of the greatest museums in the country (Corner and Young) The structure is post modern as it is a modification of the modern building. According to Robert Venturi, architecture has rules and postmodern structure designs tend to break such rules. The aim is to create unique but affordable structures in all parts of the world. Architect Frank Lloyd is believed to be one of such Architects. Robert Venturi in his book Complexity and Construction (1966) stresses on the application of the negatives or rather facts and ideas overlooked in the society to create unique but appealing features. Frank Lloyd broke major architecture rules in the interiors. The partitioning walls are made of natural stones skillfully placed to create some natural patterns and texture. This is totally different from the external walls and this creates some sense of uniqueness and aesthetic. Major parts of the upper part of the interior walls are made of plain wood with glass to enable entry of natural light (David 2012). The wood is ancient as there is no major planning or sophisticated wood treatment techniques; instead, they are cut in such a manner that one can see the notches. The glasses are skillfully attached to the wood and this extends to some part of the roof. The seats in the building are something not this modern generation. The seats are attached to the wall and they resume the L-Shape. Still on the interior walls, the architect skillfully selected different types of rocks with regard to color and texture and their natural nature makes the house look unique. We are used to sophistically finish on concrete walls but the architect took a different direction to speak his mind. The stone on the interior walls are uniquely curved to create some space to serve as book shelves. Some wood planks are used to make the roof of the book shelves with some lighting to bring out the sense of nature and originality (Mock 1945). The architect had different designs for the floor and this further makes the structure qualify to be postmodern. For instance, the study room floor is made of well polished wood which blends well with the stone walls. However, the edges of the floor consist of well placed polished tiles made of shiny materials like marbles among other gems. This creates unique patterns which matches the overall texture and color. This is accordance to venturi’s idea that the beauty of color cannot be overlooked in any architectural design. Humans are attracted by color and this is natural (Storrer 2007). The building has normal seats in the conference rooms but the maroon color matches the floor and interior walls. The seats are made to resume the curved shape and this creates some sense of comfort. The roof of the building is made of translucent materials like asbestos and this enables the room have sufficient natural light. One can easily watch the sin rise and sunset. The exteriors of the building are unique and this qualifies it as postmodern. The building is inclined in a certain angle and this leave one wondering whether the building is a real one of a curving. The exterior walls are reinforced by pink planks of wood and the color just matches the beige color of the natural stones used to make the exterior walls. The exterior walls are made of stones of different textures with cement as an adhesive material (Frampton and Futagawa 1983). The stones are patched with no regular pattern and the randomness is something beyond the modern structures. The exterior wall can be judged as poor but everything changes the moment one set his or her foot on the inside. Frank Lloyd wanted to send the message that architecture is not the quality of material but the art of skillful placement of local available materials to create unique structures. The water fall is attached to the wall and the water flows to the swimming pool and this is something found only in Taliesin in the entire universe. The landscape of Taliesin is extra beautiful although it is more of the modern designs. The pavements are made of well placed stones that join the grass foot path. The architect designed the stones to be placed in a sloppy manner to direct runoff during rains to the grass foot paths (Ron 2012). This makes the grass green and healthy and the pavement dry and clean even during the stormy season. There are plants in between the stony pavement and this to limit chances of soil erosion and add aesthetic value (Ada 2004). The blue water of the swimming value blends well with the green color of grass and this is beautiful. There are several trees in the compound with some producing different kinds of flowers and this achievement of the landscaper but the architect must have contributed. According to venture, aesthetics requires a lot of spectator and one is free to express his or her feelings through the architectural designs (Heyer 1999). Architecture should evolve from the traditional perspective where all houses were designed in the same manner as they adhered to some rules. This was boring, as the author talks of walking to a friend’s house and realizing you have the same houses, the only difference is the location, and it is boring. The postmodern architectural designs creates different houses and this is creates uniqueness which is a very vital element in this generation. Adolf Loos in his book ornament and crime (1910) talks of the freedom of art and architecture included. He describes the right of every individual to live in his choice of structure and this took people a very long time to accept. The author talks of various architectures that were jailed and their practicing licenses cancelled for violating some rules in architectural designs. Wright embraced this idea to design a house different or unique in its own ways (Saunders 2009). The world did not object the idea but the originality and creativity of the structure made it one of the famous museums in the country. The author faced various challenges advocating for freedom in architecture but his tears and campaigns bore fruits when the likes of Frank Lloyd could express their unique talents without obstructions by the relevant authority. The structure designed by Architect Wright has unique interior and exteriors and this comprise of the uniqueness of materials selection and even placement. The interior walls are made of stones of different color, shape and texture joined by cement to bring out the nature in them. The walls still comprise of planks of wood well placed to create aesthetics. The architect still had freedom to express his opinion in writings and these are in records to date. The building qualifies to post modern due to different elements. The fact that it has a museum and world class hotel is something of this current generation. The hotel side has the aesthetic decorations while the museum brings the natural values of the materials used in the construction (Narciso 2012). The stones communicate the architect’s love and appreciation of art. The museum has different kinds of rocks which are believed to be Wright’s collection since his childhood. He expressed or rather described his life through the architectural design of the building. The sculptures are well paced and the interior design of the structure is on its own level. This is quite different from the modern designs where every building looks a like. The modern design require all the architectural rules to be adhered to and this end up in producing similar structures and this is intimidating, according to Architect Wright (Sharp 2009). Furthermore, the structure’s landscape ensures the natural and man made structures blend well. The stony pavements are sloppy to drain excess stormy water into the grass and trees and this ensure dry and clean pavement and healthy grass and trees in the compound. The water fall drains into the swimming pool and this is so natural that people travel from different parts of the world to have the experience. This could be impossible when rules were the core in any design ( Randolph 2011). Work cited Donald Corner and Jenny Young, University of Oregon. Slide from photographers collection. PCD.2350.1012.1143.17, interior photo of office work space. PCD.2350.1012.1143.16, exterior view of stonework and wood external roof beams. Kenneth Frampton and Yukio Futagawa. Modern Architecture 1920-1945. New York: Rizzoli, 1983. Paul Heyer. American Architecture: Ideas and Ideologies in the Late Twentieth Century. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993. Elizabeth Mock, ed. Built in the USA Since 1932. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1945. William S. Saunders. Modern Architecture—Photographs by Ezra Stoller. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Publishers, 2009. Dennis Sharp. Twentieth Century Architecture: a Visual History. New York: Facts on File, 2009. William Allin Storrer. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2007. ISBN 0-226-77624-7. LC 93-30127. NA737.W7A4 1993. plan drawing. © William Allin Storrer. Marcus Whiffen and Frederick Koeper. American Architecture, Volume 1. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008. Henning, Randolph C. (2011). Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-029928284-4. Huxtable, Ada (2004). Frank Lloyd Wright: A Life. New York City, NY. McCrea, Ron (2012). Building Taliesin (1st ed.). Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Menocal, Narciso (2007). Wright Studies, Volume One: Taliesin 1911–1914 (1st ed.). Carbondale, IL:  Mickelson, David (2012). Glacial Processes: Past and Present. Boulder, CO: Geological Society of America. Loos, Adolf . (1910) ornaments and crime. Boulders press: New York. Venturi Roberts. (1966) Complexity and Construction. Taylor: New York. Read More