Frank Lloyd Wright : The Masterworks
Book description
This extraordinary book presents thirty-eight of the most renowned and significant buildings of America's premier architect, from his early Prairie work in Oak Park, Illinois, in the 1890s to his daring creations of the 1940s and 1950s.
In entirely new photographs taken especially for this book by two leading architectural photographers under the direction of co-editor David Larkin, such internationally famous buildings as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater and Wright's homes Taliesin, Taliesin West, and the Oak Park Home and Studio are seen afresh, benefiting from the photographers' special access.
Several lesser-known residences, such as Auldbrass Plantation in South Carolina, an array of wooden buildings that is Wright's American alternative to antebellum architecture, the William H. Winslow house in River Forest, Illinois, one of the architect's earliest and most surprisingly decorative houses, and the Kenneth Laurent house in Rockford, Illinois, a masterful curvilinear design, are seen in full color and demonstrate dimensions of Wright's work less often seen before. Public buildings, such as the dramatic concrete, glass, and steel Marin County Civic Center and Beth Sholom Synagogue show Frank Lloyd Wright as engineering virtuoso as well as creative architect. In addition to these existing masterworks, only the most famous of which are open to the public, the book covers buildings that have been demolished, notably the Larkin Company Administration Building, Midway Gardens, and the Imperial Hotel, which are represented here by drawings and rich archival photographs.
Each of the buildings is presented from conceptual sketch, plan, or drawing to finished masterwork, and each is accompanied by an in-depth essay detailing the development of the work. Extensive quotes from Frank Lloyd Wright's writings, unpublished talks, and private letters to the clients give valuable insight into the architect's own thinking about each commission. Never before has Wright's architecture been presented so elaborately in one volume.
About the Author
Marla Prather is curator of postwar art at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Her publications include History of Modern Art, Willem de Kooning: Paintings, and Alexander Calder, 1898-1976. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Book Description
From the stainless steel curves of its striking exterior to the state-of-the-art acoustics of the hardwood-paneled main auditorium, Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall, new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will be one of the most acoustically sophisticated concert halls in the world. Opening in fall 2003, the hall is destined to be a new architectural landmark, generating as much excitement as Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which its design predates.
This book, which includes an introduction by Frank Gehry, traces the history of the hall from its inception through the architect selection process, construction, and completion of the building, which is recorded in acclaimed architectural photographer Grant Mudford's stunning images. Esa-Pekka Salonen, music director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, recounts his first impressions of Gehry and the models for the new building in an essay that also defines what makes a great orchestra and a great concert hall.
Sure to make headlines and attract visitors from around the world, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the most important and innovative buildings of recent years. This book brings its story to all those interested in modern architecture. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
