Frank Lloyd Wright: America's Master Architect

by Kathryn Smith, Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) is unquestionably America's most celebrated architect. Even today, almost forty years after his death, he continues to tower over the architectural landscape. In fact, his career was so long and his accomplishments so varied it can be difficult still to grasp the full range of Wrights achievement In this refreshing new study, Wright scholar Kathryn Smith does just that, exploring the grace and beauty found in all facets of Wright's from office desks and chairs to his first residential commissions, from magazine cover designs to major public buildings. The concise text and brilliant color photographs chart Wright's entire career, beginning with his apprenticeship to Adler and Sullivan before the turn of the century. Readers witness the Prairie period, Wright's years in Japan and California, his major designs of the late 1920s and 1930s, his Usonian houses, and the monumental late works of his last decades. Smith shows examples of Wright's drawings, furniture, and decorative arts, too, supplementing our understanding of Wright's aesthetic. The book concludes with a glimpse at the architect's seldom-seen collection of Asian art, which once comprised tens of thousands of pieces ― a source of much inspiration and edification for the architect and his students, and a key to understanding Wright's views on art and nature. Here is a broad portrait of the master builder who sought the title "greatest architect of all time." Although it may never be possible to fully assess Wright's legacy, Kathryn Smith's authoritative book is a fitting testament to his lasting genius.

Genres: Architecture, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Kathryn Smith is the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin and Taliesin West (1997) and Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollyhock House, and Olive Hill: Buildings and Projects for the Aline Barnsdall (1992). Smith is former Professor of Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture.

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Reviews

[Max Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short review, but an excellent and digestible read. It includes nicely in-depth chronicling of Wright's career and includes beautiful and rare photographs of unbuilt projects which shed a fascinating light onto Wright's unseen works.

Most significantly to me, it covers Wright's love for Asian art and especially Japanese woodblock (ukiyo-e) prints, a handful of which (from his own collection) I have interacted with myself. It reflects my own fascination with Japanese and Asian art and philosophical connection to its focus on nature as a part of life, not just a collection of flora and fauna. At the end of the book is a collection of recommended readings to further knowledge of Wright and his formative inspirations, which I found very helpful. Overall a quick read, but also a very accessible and very in-depth reference.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The content was okay, but the real value is in the pictures.

[theStorykeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting that they describe the Monona Terrace Civic Center as being unbuilt, when although it wasn't built while Wright was alive, it was finally built in 1997.

[Sławomir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book about Lloyd and I think I couldn't get better. Short overview of most important works with many photos.

[John of Canada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning architecture, wonderful photographs, nice commentary. Well done.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely, well-designed overview. Each section began with one (large) page of text of historical background and then it was on to pages of photos and sketches. A great, visual jumping-off point for Frank Lloyd Wright.