Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

architecturaldigest.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 64 posts

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#11

Post by UncleOxidant »

CGMthrowaway wrote: post #6
twright wrote: post #4

It never ceases to amaze me how Wright's style was so ahead of the times. A lot of people immediately think the houses are mid-50's but they're in fact 20 to 30 years earlier! If you happen to be driving through somewhere near one of the houses that are under conservancy[1] they are well worth a stop. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Frank_Lloyd_Wright_wor...

FLW created the times

There's something similar in cinema. For example, I was watching Terrance Malick's Badlands for the first time a couple of years ago and I could swear it felt like a film from the 90s or maybe early 2000s. But it was from 1973.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#12

Post by gabrielsroka »

> Wright borrowed $5,000 from one of his bosses, Louis Sullivan,[25][28][29][I] who took title to the land.[19][23] In exchange, Wright had to repay the loan within five years.[30] Excluding the land cost, Wright eventually spent $5,300, which included $1,200 from his own savings and $3,500 from Sullivan's loan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright_Home_and_St...

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#13

Post by intheitmines »

gabrielsroka wrote: post #12

> Wright borrowed $5,000 from one of his bosses, Louis Sullivan,[25][28][29][I] who took title to the land.[19][23] In exchange, Wright had to repay the loan within five years.[30] Excluding the land cost, Wright eventually spent $5,300, which included $1,200 from his own savings and $3,500 from Sullivan's loan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright_Home_and_St...

According to BLS CPI data $5000 in 1889 is $182,132.07 in modern day purchasing power

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#14

Post by fusslo »

burkaman wrote: post #5

I know houses used to be cheaper but I was still struggling to understand how a 22-year-old from what doesn't sound like a very rich family could have afforded this. His foundation website says "he negotiated a five-year contract with Sullivan in exchange for the loan of the necessary money" and then "it was not long before escalating expenses tempted him into accepting independent residential commissions". I guess y…

It kinda seems like Sullivan being shrewd. Sullivan probably saw the value in one of his junior architects going through the whole process of building a house for himself. It'd give Wright valuable experience. Mistakes could happen to his own property rather than a client's. Having such a contract may limit the chances that Wright would leave the employer. Wrights attitude towards Sullivan would be more positive if Wright saw him as a patron.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#15

Post by Zigurd »

I grew up in Oak Park and I've been in the home and studio several times. It's a remarkably homey home, in contrast with Wright's reputation for art over practicality. It's also what you'd expect from a tech nerd's work at home home: it has a whole house audio system in the form of a player piano built into a central stairway.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#16

Post by allknowingfrog »

twright wrote: post #4

It never ceases to amaze me how Wright's style was so ahead of the times. A lot of people immediately think the houses are mid-50's but they're in fact 20 to 30 years earlier! If you happen to be driving through somewhere near one of the houses that are under conservancy[1] they are well worth a stop. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Frank_Lloyd_Wright_wor...

Isn't Wright sort of famous for designing structures that leak when it rains? My understanding is that Falling Water House is a beautiful money pit.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#17

Post by Aurornis »

burkaman wrote: post #5

I know houses used to be cheaper but I was still struggling to understand how a 22-year-old from what doesn't sound like a very rich family could have afforded this. His foundation website says "he negotiated a five-year contract with Sullivan in exchange for the loan of the necessary money" and then "it was not long before escalating expenses tempted him into accepting independent residential commissions". I guess y…

The house you see in the photos is the result of years of additions and expansions, funded by his success as a world-class architect.

The original construction was much more modest in size.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#18

Post by Aurornis »

gabrielsroka wrote: post #12

> Wright borrowed $5,000 from one of his bosses, Louis Sullivan,[25][28][29][I] who took title to the land.[19][23] In exchange, Wright had to repay the loan within five years.[30] Excluding the land cost, Wright eventually spent $5,300, which included $1,200 from his own savings and $3,500 from Sullivan's loan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright_Home_and_St...

That was for the original construction, which was much smaller in size. The house you see in the photos was after multiple expansions and additions as his career took off.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#19

Post by Aurornis »

allknowingfrog wrote: post #16
twright wrote: post #4

It never ceases to amaze me how Wright's style was so ahead of the times. A lot of people immediately think the houses are mid-50's but they're in fact 20 to 30 years earlier! If you happen to be driving through somewhere near one of the houses that are under conservancy[1] they are well worth a stop. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Frank_Lloyd_Wright_wor...

Isn't Wright sort of famous for designing structures that leak when it rains? My understanding is that Falling Water House is a beautiful money pit.

Falling Water was an engineering disaster, but it was a unique project for him. Most of his houses are not like that.

Re: Frank Lloyd Wright’s first home

#20

Post by waltbosz »

Zigurd wrote: post #15

I grew up in Oak Park and I've been in the home and studio several times. It's a remarkably homey home, in contrast with Wright's reputation for art over practicality. It's also what you'd expect from a tech nerd's work at home home: it has a whole house audio system in the form of a player piano built into a central stairway.

I live within walking distance of a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Sadly, it's a private residence and closed to the public.
Post reply on HN