Happy Birthday Frank Lloyd Wright

Happy Birthday Frank Lloyd Wright

In this series of photographs, Frank Lloyd Wright demonstrates the difference between organic architecture and conventional architecture with his hands.

Here is one of my favorite images of Wright by Pedro Guerrero.

The image and explanation is quoted from “Picturing Wright”, Guerrero’s 1994 memoir on his experiences with Frank Lloyd Wright.

In this series of photographs, Frank Lloyd Wright demonstrates the difference between organic architecture and conventional architecture with his hands.

In the first six photographs, Mr. Wright illustrates how conventional post and beam construction might give way because of its rigidness.

In the next four photographs, photographer Pedro Guerrero explains,

“Mr. Wright clasped his hands together, interlocking his fingers to indicate the strength and flexibility of his organic architecture. As he talked he rocked his hands back-and-forth, showing how organic architecture had a tensile strength because it could use steel to span great spaces.”

In the final two photographs, Mr. Wright demonstrates the triangular plan and roof of the Unitarian Meeting House in Madison, Wisconsin. The shape creates the “expression of reverence without recourse to the steeple,” according to the architect.

Photo credit: Andrew Pielage

So then I thought it would be fun to replicate the series in 2015 with some students from the School of Architecture (SoA) while we were at Taliesin.

Luckily they were up for it.