The development of Art Nouveau
was a major factor in the change between neoclassic and modern architecture. It
takes passed styles and mixes them with what was considered “new” during that
time which was around the last decade of the 19th century to the
first decade of the 20th century. This new style focused mainly
around what could decorate the building and less of the building as a whole.
This was accomplished using newer materials at that time; mainly iron (cast and
wrought).
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867
– 1959)
was just one of
the brilliant minds that adapted this style into his own design style. Wright
was mainly known for designing homes, offices, churches, schools,
skyscrapers, hotels, and museums; all of which he would commonly design the
interior furnishings which accentuated his unique style.
He was considered one of the first architects
to design and use interior finishing as part of the overall design. Wright’s
elaborate attention to detail in connection to the rest of his designs is just
one of the many ways he stands out among other architects. Throughout his career,
was remembered for having a few inspirations, of which were
Louis Sullivan,
whom he considered to be his dear master, Nature, particularly shapes, forms,
colors, and patterns of plant life, Music, and Japanese art and buildings.
To explain just how Wright’s work changed over the period of
Art Nouveau, I will give a few examples of homes he designed during that time.
One of the first homes he designed was the Warren McArthur House located in
Chicago, Illinois and built in 1892, just shortly after the start of Art
Nouveau. This house was “described primarily as Dutch
Colonial”[i]. With influences from
Sullivan and Joseph Silsbee, one of its characteristics
that stand out the most is the gable roof. Towards the beginning of his career,
Wright’s was influenced by a trend that was happening in which you would design
a taller building in order to achieve more natural light. According to Frank Lloyd Wright, Vertical Space, and the
Chicago School's Quest for Light[ii]
“Their source lies in
late-19th-century tall office buildings, where the need for natural light was
crucial.”
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This style is evident in most of his earlier works as is seen by
the next example. The house below is the Walter H. Gale House which
was located in Oak Park, Illinois and built in 1893. As is seen again,
verticality overpowers this design by the gable roof which rises quite high
from the top of the first floor windows. With more glazing than wall, Wright’s
influence of gaining as much natural light as possible is quite evident. Wright
also took an interest in working with brick. As is seen from the tower, he
starts to experiment stacking brick in more ways than the traditional running
bond.
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The
next example is taken from his mid career when he starts to divert from the
idea of verticality being the dominant aspect of a building and instead, heads
into a more horizontal approach. The house below is the Ward Winfield Willits House
which was located in Highland Park, Illinois and was built in 1901. As is clear
of the image, there are no gable roofs but hip roofs which fade and spread out
over the top of the structure and even extends outward passed the of the walls.
The effect causes the building to “flatten” to the environment and grants a
much more subtle appearance than the previous examples of verticality. This
home offers a much more private and comfortable feeling with the wall wrapping
around the front and deeply covered entry way that is invisible from the
street.
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When
looking at who Wright may have been more influenced by between John Ruskin, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc,
and Gottfried Semper, one of these men stands out more than the other two in
relation to their impact on Wright. Gottfried Semper can be seen as having
given the most influence on Wright’s ideals. Not only was Wright logically
driven (i.e. using verticality to allow for more natural lighting) but he was
also emotionally connected to most if not all his works, detailing the smallest
finishing of the structure.
[i] http://www.thefranklloydwrighttour.com/apps/blog/show/5622846-warren-mcarthur-house-frank-lloyd-wright-1892
[ii] Journal of the Society of
Architectural Historians, Vol. 44, No. 1 (Mar., 1985), pp. 66-74
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