FrankLloydWrightisAmerica'sgreatest-everarchitect.However,fewpeopleknowabouttheWelshrootsthatshapedhislifeandworld-famousbuildings.Now,leadingWelsharchitectJonathanAdamssetsoffacrossAmericatoexploreFrankLloydWright'smasterpiecesforhimself.Alongtheway,heuncoversthetempestuouslifestoryofthemanbehindthemandthesignificanceofhisradicalfamilybackground.
Inacareerspanningsevendecades,FrankLloydWrightbuiltover500buildings,andchangedthefaceofmodernarchitecture:Fallingwater,thehouseoverthewaterfall,hasbeencalledthegreatesthouseofthe20thcentury;thespirallingGuggenheimMuseuminNewYorkreinventedtheartmuseum;theconcreteUnityTemplewasthefirsttrulymodernbuildingintheworld.ButtheunderlyingphilosophythatlinksallWright'sbuildingsisasimportantasanythinghebuilt.
ThoseideaswererootedintheUnitarianreligionofFrankLloydWright'smother.AnnaLloydJoneswasbornandraisednearLlandysulinwestWalesandmigratedtoAmericawithherfamilyin1844,mostlikelytoescapereligiouspersecution.Herson,Frank,wasraisedinaUnitariancommunityinWisconsin,asmallpieceofWalesinAmerica.Thevaluesheabsorbedtherewerebasedonthesanctityofnature,theimportanceofhardwork,andtheneedtoquestionconventionanddefyitwherenecessary.Wright'sarchitecturewasshapedby,andexpressed,thesebeliefs.
FrankLloydWrightsetouttocreateanewAmericanarchitectureforanewcountry.Hebuilthisownlifelonghomeinthevalleyhewasraisedin,andhenameditafteranancientWelshbardcalledTaliesin.Itwasthesceneofmanyadventures-andahorrificcrime.In1914,aservantatTaliesinranamokandkilledsevenpeopleincludingWright'spartner,MamahCheney,andhertwoyoungchildren.
WrightrebuilthishomeandwentontomarryaMontenegrinwoman,OlgivannaMilanoff,some30yearsyoungerthanhim.ItwasOlgivannawhostruckupontheideathatsavedWright'scareeraftertheWallStreetCrashandpersonalscandallaiditlow.Shedecidedthatherhusbandshouldtakeonapprenticesandthattheapprenticesshouldpayfortheprivilege.TheTaliesinFellowshiphadahands-onapproach,withapprenticesoftenbuildingextensionstoWright'sownhouses,labouringandcookingforhim.Somehowitworked,lastingfordecadesandnurturinghundredsofyoungtalents.
FrankLloydWrightdiedin1959aged91whileworkingonhisfinalmasterpiece,NewYork'sincomparableGuggenheimMuseum.HehadbeenborninthewakeoftheAmericancivilwar,thesonofapioneer,anddiedatelevisioncelebrity,inthespaceage.HeisburiedintheshadowofTaliesin,alongsidehisWelshancestors.
A150yearsafterhisbirth,JonathanAdamsarguesthatFrankLloydWrightisnowavitallyimportantfigurewhocanteachushowtobuildforabetterworld.Wrightbelievedinwhathecalledorganicarchitecture;buildingsthatgracethelandscape,expressanideaofhowtoliveandrespondtoindividualneeds.Thisbespokeapproach-aphilosophy,notastyle-putshimattheheartofmodernarchitecturalthinking.
