For more information contact: Lisa Marshall, 608/267-3773
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S LEGACY LIVES ON IN HIS HOME STATE
Wright’s Estate & Other Landmark Designs Grace Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (2007) – Once the home of America’s greatest architect, Wisconsin continues to be rich in structures created by Frank Lloyd Wright. Across the state, visitors can witness the legacy of the visionary architect as it endures in public buildings and private residences, including his own estate.
The most notable of all of the Wright-designed structures in Wisconsin is his home and studio complex, Taliesin (1-877-588-7900; www.taliesinpreservation.org). Located west of Madison amid the rolling countryside of Spring Green, Taliesin is regarded as Wright’s “autobiography in wood and stone.” Constructed in 1911 and rebuilt twice after fire damage, the home was designed to integrate with the surrounding pastoral landscape, according to Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture. The prairie-style home was originally designed with three main wings: a residential wing, an office / drafting-studio wing and a farm wing. It was filled with furniture designed by Wright and constructed of materials including plaster, limestone, wood, and glass that were meant to mirror its natural setting. Wright chose the Welsh word Taliesin, meaning “shining brow,” to describe how the home wrapped around the brow of a hill. Over the 50 years that Wright lived and worked at Taliesin, the home was an ongoing architectural laboratory, as he continued to modify it until his death in 1959. Wright used the buildings on his estate to test new ideas and spatial constructs, making them an enduring testament to his evolving views on architecture and nature. Other structures that are part of the 600-estate include the Romeo and Juliet Windmill Tower, Hillside Home School, Tan-y-deri and Midway Barns. Just off the estate is the Unity Chapel and Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center (formerly the Spring Green Restaurant). Several different public tours of Taliesin are offered from May through October.
In an effort to preserve Wright’s commitment to designing moderate and low-income housing, the Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Program has recently purchased two of the six American System-Built Homes on Milwaukee’s South Side. The homes were built between 1915 and 1917, when Wright designed a series of standard “system-built” homes. System-built homes were not pre-fabricated, but used factory cut lumber and materials assembled at the construction site to cut down on waste and save money. Wright produced more than 900 working drawings and sketches of various designs for the homes. The home at 2714 West Burnham will be restored as an interpretive public site. Pre-restoration tours are available. Details and tour information can be found at www.wrightinwisconsin.org.
Madison is home to two unique public buildings designed by Wright. The Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center (608/261-4000; www.mononaterrace.com), on the shores of Lake Monona, is a recently built structure inspired by Wright’s 1938 design for a “dream civic center.” He first designed it as a cultural, governmental and recreational building, then reworked the design several times between 1938 and 1959, signing off on the final plans just seven weeks before his death. Monona Terrace was completed in 1997 on the same site that Wright had originally proposed, with his design used for the building’s exterior. Guided tours are offered daily. The First Unitarian Society Meeting House (608/233-9774; www.fusmadison.org) on Madison’s near west side was completed in 1951 and is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative examples of church architecture. The structure was constructed of native limestone and oak with large glass areas, a soaring copper roof and a deep-red concrete floor. One of its most prominent features is a prow made of interlacing glass and wood that creates an inspiring, light-filled space in the auditorium. Public tours of the building are offered from May through October and large groups are asked to make appointments in advance by calling 608/233-9774 ext. 10.
About an hour’s drive north of Madison, the Seth Peterson Cottage (608/254-6051; www.sethpeterson.org) stands on the edge of a wooded bluff overlooking picturesque Mirror Lake in Mirror Lake State Park. Available for public rental, the cottage was originally designed for a Wisconsin native with a lifelong interest in Wright’s work. However, it was not completed until after Seth Peterson’s death and was subsequently purchased by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 1966. The elegant yet simple structure has been described as “having more architecture per square foot than any other building (Wright) ever designed.” Restoration of the cottage began in 1989 and has been completed. It can be rented for special events, meetings and overnight getaways, and public tours are given the second Sunday of each month.
One of Wright’s last major works, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (414/461-9400, www.annunciationwi.com) in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa was dedicated in 1961, two years after Wright’s death. The building’s circular design is a radical departure from traditional Byzantine church architecture yet retains the concept of a domed space and incorporates symbols and colors associated with the Greek Orthodox faith. Its overall design is based on a Greek cross inscribed with a circle. Public tours are available on Tuesday and Friday afternoons by appointment only for groups of 15 or more.
Two Wright-designed buildings are located in the southeastern Wisconsin city of Racine. Opened in 1939, the S.C. Johnson Wax Administration Building (262/260-2154) still serves today as the international headquarters of S.C. Johnson. More than 200 sizes and shapes of bricks were made according to Wright’s specifications to create the building’s unique angles and curves. Designed to be the main office area, the Great Work Room is the building’s most renowned feature, with slim dendriform columns supporting its roof and glass tubing used in place of conventional windows. Public tours are offered on Fridays only, by reservation. Set on a 36-acre parcel on the western shores of Lake Michigan, Wingspread (262/681-3353; www.johnsonfdn.org) was originally designed by Wright as a residence for the Herbert Fisk Johnson family. The 14,000-square-foot house in Racine was completed in 1939 and is shaped like a four-winged pinwheel. A prime example of Wright’s organic architecture, the structure is made primarily of limestone, brick, stucco and wood, and its long, low silhouette stretches out to meet the surrounding land. A 30-foot chimney rises from the octagonal living space at the building’s center, providing five fireplaces on three levels. The Johnson family lived in the home for 20 years. In 1959, Wingspread was turned over to the Johnson Foundation to serve as an educational and conference center. Public tours are available by appointment when conferences are not in session.
Richland Center, the small town where Wright was born, is Wright’s A.D. German Warehouse. Built between 1917 and 1921 for a local commodity wholesaler, the four-story warehouse was used to store sugar, flour, coffee, tobacco and other staples. The A.D. German Warehouse is one of only a few major public buildings Wright designed during the mid-teens that was actually built. The building was designed to maintain a constant 52 degree temperature, year round, and is the only remaining warehouse of its kind. The warehouse is not currently open to the public.
For more information about travel in Wisconsin, the public can visit travelwisconsin.com or call the Wisconsin Department of Tourism at 1-800-432-TRIP/8747. Travelers can also obtain guides and information at Wisconsin Welcome Centers, located in select state-border cities.
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