The Life and Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

Scott Stephen, Chief Information Officer Emeritus, Albion College.

Wednesdays, 2 — 4 p.m., May 1, 8, 22, 29. In person. Class size unlimited. Location and Room Numbers will be given with course confirmations.

A popular story reports that Frank Lloyd Wright was once asked in court to state his profession, and he replied, “I am the greatest architect in the world.” The lawyer asked him if he was sure about that, and he stated, “Well, I AM under oath!”

Whether we agree or not, we cannot deny that Wright is responsible for a remarkable body of work. His private homes and public buildings challenged Victorian traditions, bringing new ideas to the art of architecture. We will start the course with a look at Mr. Wright’s life history beginning with his Welsh roots, his early years in Wisconsin, and his work experience as a draftsman and then architect in Chicago. We’ll follow the intricate path of his family and romantic life, and then his years leading the Taliesin Fellowship at his home Taliesin, near Spring Green, Wisconsin, and at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona.

We will look at Wright’s architecture from several perspectives, using photographs of his work from a number of sources, including the instructor’s own photographs. We’ll start out with Wright’s own homes in Oak Park, Illinois, Spring Green, and Scottsdale. Then we’ll see a variety of his work located nearby in Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Then we’ll broaden the view to look at additional sites that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage site list in 2019. We’ll also highlight sites that are open to the public across the country, and those that can be rented for overnight stays. And if there is time, we’ll look at some recently created virtual tours of lost constructions and unbuilt designs.