Wright was born shortly after the end of the Civil War in 1867 in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His career spanned an extraordinary and unprecedented 72 years during which he developed unique designs and implemented architectural concepts which ushered in a new era of highly stylized and innovative architecture. He also led a very colorful personal life which frequently made headlines throughout the early and mid-20th century.
Wright's path to success in architecture was unorthodox in many ways. Because his family became financially crippled after his parents divorced, he assumed the responsibilities of providing for his mother and two sisters while still a teenager. Thus, he never attended high school. He was, however, admitted to the University of Wisconsin in 1885, where he attended classes part-time for two semesters while serving as an apprentice to a local builder and civil engineering professor. Two years later he left the university before graduating and headed south to Chicago, where he joined the architectural firm of Joseph Lyman Silsbee. Soon thereafter he found himself working for the high-profile firm Adler & Sullivan.
Though Wright assumed all of the firm's residential design work, he was secretly accepting private commissions, which ultimately led to his dismissal. Forced to continue designing because of his growing financial responsibilities, Wright finished working on his commissioned projects and established his own firm out of his home by the turn of the century.
what would come to be known as the "Prairie Period." His residential designs were called "prairie houses" because they introduced new design concepts (low buildings, sloping roofs, overhangs, and terraces) which complemented the flat land of the Chicago area.
Wright's talent ultimately outgrew the limits of residential design, and he went on to create bigger and better pieces which would bring him the attention of the international community.
Among his most celebrated designs is the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Situated in the heart of Manhattan on Fifth Avenue, the building is widely considered the masterpiece of his career. Its exterior forms a rising spiral echoed on the inside, which is similar to the inside of a seashell. The unorthodox design was intended to provide visitors with a new way of experiencing the Guggenheim's nonobjective geometric paintings.
Wright's legacy is also compounded by the prevalence he brought to the practice of organic architecture. Organic architecture is defined as "architecture that evolves naturally out of the context." Wright believed that all architecture should respect the site on which it is built by not overextending itself in an inappropriately sized design and that the materials used to construct the structure should include as many of the site's natural materials as possible. For example, in heavily wooded areas he utilized wood to complete his designs, while in desert regions he used stone. He was also one of the first architects to design custom-made furniture which served not as accessories but as part of the design of the homes he created.
Though Wright rarely recognized external influences on his work, most architecture historians and scholars agree that five major influences helped direct his vision:
- Louis Sullivan, the man he considered his "dear master"
- Nature, especially plant life, which gave him shapes, patterns, and colors
- Music — Beethoven was his favorite composer
- Japan — the nation's art and unusual building designs inspired him to experiment
- Froebel Gifts — educational materials and concepts developed by Friedrich Froebel, including the notion of "free play"
Since his death, no single architect has emerged as comparable to Wright in terms of either influence or vision. His impact continues to drive both industry and individuals to push the limits of their creativity and capabilities, doing exactly what Garfunkel memorialized him for: changing points of view.
