Exclusive: Virtual Tour of an Unrealized Frank Lloyd Wright Design
A virtual reality tour of the Dr. Hugh Pratt Home, created by Archilogic.
Frank Lloyd Wright's work in the United States, and to a slightly lesser extent, Japan, is well known. But the famous architect has quite a few admirers in Europe as well. In 2013, English electrical engineer Dr. Hugh Pratt petitioned the village of Wraxall, England, to allow him to construct a Wright design on a 12-acre site. The petition was rejected by the local council, concerned that the curved, modern home would stick out and be a distraction, and wasn't "innovative" enough to warrant an exception to built on the town's greenbelt. It's too bad, since Pratt's efforts (which began in 2004 and has cost him more than $150,000) may have been one of the last chances to see an unbuilt Wright design realized. The plan for the home—a series of overlapping circles that includes a circular stonewalled kitchen and bedroom that cantilevers over a nearby river—was based on a home Wright designed for Dr. & Mrs. O'Keeffe and intended for a site in Santa Barbara, California. It moved forward with the blessing of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, but will be the last design to receive such support, due to questions of fidelity (new homes built on old plans would need to be updated to meet building codes) and confusion over what is a "new" building or authentic plan, according to then-Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation President and CEO Sean Malone. While the council's decision appear final, with the help of Archilogic, a firm that specializes in creating 3D models for architecture and real estate, it's possible to take a virtual walkthrough of the home.
Take a virtual tour, this way; you can even use Google Cardboard >>
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ABOUT 1 HOUR AGO
HOUSE OF THE DAY
PAHOA, HAWAII
Stunning Hawaii Modern House With Pool, Fab Views for $785K
Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.
All photos via Clark Realty
Location: Pahoa, Hawaii
Price: $785,000
Not long after that spectacular untouched '60s Honolulu home went up for sale, the Hawaii real estate market has another gem on offer. This time, it's aconcrete and glass modern stunner designed by San Francisco-based architect Craig Steely. The latest in a series of breezy Hawaii homes erected on lava flow, the 2012-built house sits on a five-acre property on the Big Island, boasting views of tropical fruit gardens, a coffee tree forest, and, of course, the Pacific Ocean.
Wowza >>
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2 HOURS AGO
REEL PLACES
Midcentury Modern at the Movies: 13 Stylish Film Sets
Clockwise from top left: A Single Man, the Fountainhead, North by Northwest, The Big Lebowski.
Eames, Knoll, Saarinen, Mies, George Nelson: the midcentury architects and design icons worshipped by fans were clear signifiers of taste and class from the moment they arrived, self-evidently the most stylish furniture available. Design curator Donald Albrecht believes the real story is slightly different.
"Modern architecture itself may have left the public cold, but modern architecture in the movies caught its imagination by embodying . . . their fears, hopes and aspirations," he wrote in his book Designing Dreams.
Worldly as we believe ourselves to be, cinema's cultural impact popularizes trends, and that was certainly true in the '50s and '60s. Midcentury design and architecture, which arrived brimming with optimism and new ideas, and was used by directors, set designers and stylists to symbolize the forward-thinking, modern, nature of those on screen. From classic films to modern period dramas made today, the sophisticated silhouettes of this era of design symbolize the same ideas today. Here are some of our favorite films, from classics to recent period dramas, where midcentury and modern style play an important role.
From A Star is Born to A Single Man >>
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3 HOURS AGO
ARCHITECTURE
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
Iconic John Lautner '60s House Will Be Donated To L.A. Museum
All photos by Elizabeth Daniels via Curbed LA
Big news: James Goldstein, real estate investor and owner of John Lautner's iconic Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Los Angeles, is donating the 1963 masterpiece to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the donation, which will be announced this afternoon at the house, will include an endowment of $17M for a maintenance fund, plus the James Turrell installation set on a slope below the home and a new building nearby containing an office and nightclub.
Yes, there will be tours >
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4 HOURS AGO
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ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE
MEXICO CITY
Glass Skywalks Connect Wings of Treehouse-Style Concrete Pad
Photos by Agustín Garza via Designboom.
Mexico City's temperate climate allows for inventive residential designs that are open to their environments, and bring a bit of the natural world right inside. Following in this tradition is "La casa en el bosque" or "The House in the Forest" in a suburb of the Distrito Federal, designed by local architecture studio Grupo Arquitectura.
The geometric, dual-volume, 10,763-square-foot house (1,000 square meters) comprises two concrete structures connected via glass skywalksthat give residents views into the lush courtyard as they travel from the home's private rooms in one volume to its common areas, including a double-height living room, kitchen, and mezzanine-level dining area, in the other.
Photos this way >>
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4 HOURS AGO
5
PROPERTY LINES
FLINT, MICHIGAN
Flint Water Crisis Hurts Rebounding Housing Market
Welcome back to Property Lines, a column by veteran real estate reporterAlexei Barrionuevo. Every week, Barrionuevo will report on housing trends, real estate deals, and major business moves right here on Curbed.
Saginaw Street in downtown Flint on February 7. Photo by Sarah Rice / Getty Images.
There is a joke making the rounds in Flint, Michigan, these days that says a lot about how the historical fortunes of the town were turned on their head.
It goes that in the 1970s the factory jobs were in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. "Now all the factory jobs are in Mexico, and you can't drink the water in Flint," said Scott Hoyt, co-owner of ChangingStreets.com, a brokerage that serves Flint.
The discovery of widespread lead contamination in the city of 102,000 people has drawn national scorn for the way leaders at all levels of government bungled such a devastating health issue. Still, as real estate brokers working in the city reminded me in recent days, Flint's housing market was already struggling to regain its footing after a series of economic blows dating back to 2005.
Flint has the highest vacancy rate in the country >>
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5 HOURS AGO
RENOVATIONS
WESTDALE, CANADA
'30s Art Moderne House Wows After Sparkling Renovation
All photos by A. Marthouret via Dwell
In the quiet Ontario town of Westdale, a Canadian couple set out to revive a worn, water-damaged 1939 Art Moderne house and the results are stunning. Just profiled on Dwell, the project involved not only local firms DPAI Architecture and Toms + McNally Design, but also "open houses" where neighbors could provide input. After all, with a distinctively Art Moderne curvy facade, this isn't your average suburban house.
Look inside >>
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21 HOURS AGO
FIELD NOTES
NEW CANAAN, CONN.
Midcentury Modern in New Canaan: Touring 4 Fabulous Homes
The living room inside Philip Johnson's Boissonas House—All photos by Jenny Xie unless otherwise noted
Midcentury mania has been raging for some time now. Whether seen in the popularity of Mad Men, Eichler homes, or vintage furniture reissues, people are clearly digging the architecture and design of the era. With clean lines, glass walls, open plans, and strong connections to the outdoors, midcentury modern homes are always striking, often sublime. But it's never just about the looks.
"The things that really make us love certain places and spaces in our lives are so much more complex than what they look like," architect Andrew Plumb writes in a blog post on LinkedIn. Plumb, who along with Mette Aamodt—his partner in work and life—form the Cambridge, MA firm Aamodt/Plumb (they're also members of the 2015 class of Curbed Groundbreakers), are teaching an architecture design studio at Roger Williams University this semester focusing on that exact idea: home and the senses. Lately, they've been pushing their students to understand how midcentury homes work, and more generally, how successful modern residential design can produce emotional responses.
To that end, the class ventured out. Earlier this month, the Aamodt/Plumb team took the students on a four-stop midcentury (snowy day!) home tour in New Canaan, Connecticut, home of Philip Johnson's iconic Glass House and dozens of modernist homes designed by his contemporaries, including Marcel Breuer, Eliot Noyes, and more. Curbed had the opportunity to tag along and see, up close, what the fuss is all about.
Come along! >>
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A DAY AGO
4
WINTER GETAWAYS
Swiss Alps Resort Features Bucky Fuller Looks, Modern Comforts
Photos by Whitepod Hotel via Contemporist.
Though winter in the northeast seems as good a time as any to turn one's attention to warm-weather retreats, some people venture out joyfully into snow, seeking phenomenal skiing and cozy times. In the Swiss Alps, fifteenBuckminster Fuller-style "eco-luxury pods" have taken up residence, part of the Whitepod Hotel at the base of the Dents-du-Midi mountains.
Each domed "pod" is rather spacious, with a bed, armchair, desk, television, and en-suite, plywood-lined bathroom. There are also 5 "family pods" on site with lofted sleeping spaces for up to two kids. A central, gabled lodge houses the communal kitchen and dining facilities. If, even after all this, winter still isn't your thing, the resort is in fact open in the summer months, too.
See inside, right this way >>
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A DAY AGO
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ADVENTURES IN ARCHITECTURE
Iranian Modern Architecture: An Introduction to Incredible Buildings
This imposing white marble-clad monument in Tehran's Shahyad Square (formerly Azadi Square), was built in 1971 as a representation of Persian culture and the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, and has become an architectural icon. Hossein Amanat, a Baha'i architect, won the contest to design the monument, originally named the King's Memorial, but now called the Freedom Memorial.
Since sanctions lifted, Iran has seen an influx of eager tourists ready to experience the country's unique heritage and society, with tour operators and travel companies racing to book new trips or open new routes. It's no mystery why. With a varied landscape and 19 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Iran has a lot to offer that, like Cuba, has been nearly impossible to reach for many until recently. That cultural heritage includes modern architecture, from stunning Modernist structures built during the reign of Shah Reza Pahlavi that showcase vernacular styles and Islamic tradition, as well as a new generation of contemporary designs and styles. While many intrepid travelers are racing to the Middle Eastern country to experience it before it becomes the center of a tourist influx, hopefully these structures aren't going anywhere soon. Here are some highlights and points of interest selected from a much larger body of incredible designs.
Some highlights, this way >>
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A DAY AGO
HOUSE OF THE DAY
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.
Fabulously Restored 1745 Rhode Island Home Asks $2M
Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.
All photos via Zillow
Location: North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Price: $1,950,000
One of the grandest and best-maintained 18th-century homes in Rhode Island's Historic Wickford District has come up for sale. Dating back to the 1740s, the Georgian Colonial overlooking the beautiful Narragansett Bay was originally owned by the village's founder, followed by a great number of mariners, vessel owners, and merchants.
According to local organization Historic Wickford, by the time Alonzo Cross, then-president of the Cross pen company, took over the home, it was in serious disrepair. Cross then hired architect and preservationist Norman Isham to completely restore the house, which also included moving it forty feet onto a new foundation.
Check it out. >>
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A DAY AGO
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ADVENTURES IN URBAN DESIGN
PARIS, FRANCE
Paris's Neglected Spaces Reimagined in Design Competition
Sou Fujimoto's entry for the Reinventing Paris competition, Mille arbres (A Thousand Trees), would create a new urban canopy above a bus parking garage. The concept was created with Manal Rachdi, Oxo Architectes, Moz Paysage, Atelier Paul Arène and Pierre-Alexandre Risser Horticulture & Jardins. Image: Sou Fujimoto Architects + Manal Rachdi Oxo Architectes + Companie de Phalsbourg + Ogic - Morph
The city of Paris offers a sense of both timeless charm and continued reinvention, the later of which seems to have become a motto for current mayor Anne Hidalgo. After a call for a "philosophical" park redesign on the banks of the Seine, one of Hidalgo's other ambitious efforts to rethink the city's landscape, the Reinventing Paris contest, has sparked an international dialogue about repurposing abandoned urban spaces. The speculative contest asked designers and architects to reimagine 23 underutilized sites spread across the city, such as vacant lots, old mansions and abandoned public baths, and put forth proposals for redevelopment. The city won't fund the projects, but will sell the land to whichever concepts best support and advance a more sustainable, connected vision for Paris. Currently, the 23 winning proposals are on display as part of a multimedia display at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal through May 8. Here are a few of the more intriguing ideas that made the cut, and may be moving forward later this year.
Some of the winning entries, this way >>
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A DAY AGO
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INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Clever Structure Combines Home and Office in Bangkok
Photos by Ketsiree Wongwan via Designboom.
The rise of the Internet has led to more telecommuters (and fewer true snow days) than ever before, and elaborate home offices have sprouted up with abandon in residences across the U.S. and globally. Convenience is a huge factor here; working from home provides time for workers to escape the bustle and distraction of an office and retreat, for better or worse, to a quieter, domestic space for getting serious work done.
In Bangkok, Thailand, architecture studio Integrated Field took the idea of the home office a step further with HOF (which stands for "Home and Office") an airy, light-filled four-story structure, which accommodates an office on the ground level and an open-plan, two-level, two-bedroom apartment above.
Take a look around >>
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A DAY AGO
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VIDEO INTERLUDE
Frank Lloyd Wright's Forgotten '50s Interview Now A Fun Animation
Screenshot via Blank on Blank
Blank on Blank, a PBS Digital Studios series that turns lost interviews with big names into fun animated shorts, just released its newest episode spotlightingFrank Lloyd Wright—and it is full of gems.
In the source material, a circa-1957 clip of the TV show The Mike Wallace Interview, Wright was 90 years old and had been living at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, overseeing the construction of the Guggenheim Museum. The video begins with Wright willfully bringing up that the museum had been compared to a washing machine. From this, he didn't miss a beat owning up to the design and defending himself, proclaiming, "I think that any man who really has faith in himself will be dubbed arrogant by his fellows."
Watch the video, this way >>
1 COMMENT
A DAY AGO
GREAT IDEAS
Lego Fan Proposes a Monument Valley-Themed Set
A proposed Monument Valley-themed Lego set has been submitted to the toy company for consideration.
It's a potential match made in architecture-geek heaven. A fan of the wildly popular Monument Valley has submitted a proposal to create a Lego set based off the video game's architecturally inspired levels. As spotted by PSFK, a user by the name of Isometry submitted the concept to the toy company's Lego Ideas site. The proposal includes four levels featuring rotating walkways, staircases, bridges, and water wheels, along with figures representing the three main characters (Ida, Totem, and Crow) and stickers to apply to the finished models to add depth. If the proposal gets 10,000 signatures of support, it moves on to the Lego Review Board for consideration (it's rapidly on its way, with more than 2,500 signatures). The proposal also appears to follow the letter of the (Lego) law, minus potential licensing and intellectual property issues.
