Frank Lloyd Wright

Monday, May 15…

From a distance...

37° outside this morning. Forget sandals — where are my socks? We have tickets for a 10am tour of Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright’s tour de force), and by then the weather is breezy & cool, but dry and sunny. Perfect… which is also a pretty good way to describe this house. Perfect in its natural integration of rock, water, psychology, aesthetics, and utilitarian function. The Kaufmann family (who owned the house) had no descendants beyond their son, who donated the property, including furnishings, to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy at his death. 

No photography allowed inside. If you’re ever remotely near the Allegheny Valley, be sure to visit. I found the psychology behind the architecture fascinating - for example, narrow halls w/ low ceilings so you subconsciously have a sense of freedom as you move into a large, airy room. 

The house is literally built into the rock.

Steps from one of several terraces.
Sit and dip your feet into Bear Run.

Hence the name, Fallingwater

I'm  under one of the cantilevered
terraces; these are tiny "stalactites."

After our tour we grabbed a light lunch at the cafe (and I explored the awesome gift shop). Then we headed a few miles down the road to Kentuck Knob, one of Wright's Usonian homes (typically small, single-story dwellings w/o a garage or much storage space, intended to be middle-class affordable -- more info at www.apartmenttherapy.com/classic-american-style-frank-l-152338). No falling water here, but a stunning view of the Allegheny Valley. Design of this house is hexagon-based. The owners (a cut above middle class, but not outlandishly wealthy) owned a dairy farm, and Hagan ice cream is still available in the gift shop. 

Low profile, local stone (Pottsville
sandstone), & cypress.The roof is copper.

Hexagonal Skylights

Tour Guide: "And this was their backyard."
(Today it's a popular wedding venue.)

BlogShots... The Kentuck Knob property now has a variety of sculptures throughout the grounds. I'll close with pictures of a few.

If you have money, I guess
you can get just about anything.

Giant Tortoise
(natural camouflaged)

Apple Core... my fave.
Sculptor Claes Oldenburg was the leading
3-D artist of the Pop Art movement.
(medium is plastic)