For this week’s blog, I wanted to stray a little further from the standard idea of what is considered art. After all, there wasn’t a specific medium that must be used. And since we are studying in PA, I thought it would of interest to find a work of art in this state. That’s how I came to research about the architecture Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. In general, this blog will be focused more on the building itself rather than my thoughts.
Here’s a background on this building. Located in Run Mill, PA, this building was first built to be a vacation house for Edgar Kaufmann and his family. At that time, Wright was unemployed and when Kaufmann approached him, he jumped to the opportunity. Fallingwater, as suggested by the name, resides somewhat in the woods and is located over a stream that eventually becomes a mini-waterfall. Now, this well known building is a museum. It is the only major house designed by Wright that is open to the public to view.
According to Wright, Fallingwater is a building that brings together man and nature. It suggests the possibility of living in harmony with the world around us and of appreciating the waterfalls, the forest, and the cliff on which the house was built upon.
While I wasn’t able to visit this site, I did do a bit of research on the exterior and interior of Fallingwater. The building itself is made of stone pieces that have a varying degree of thickness and length to create an aesthetic effect. From the outside on the trail, it is hard to see the building because the trees are blocking the view. However, upon rounding a corner, the building steps out into full view in an attempt to wow the viewer. In addition, there is a huge separation between the noise from the outside and inside of the house. From the outside, you can clearly hear the rushing sound of the waterfall just below the house. (However, it is interesting to note that from the balcony, you cannot see the waterfall itself. This was to make sure that this spectacle was not daily seen and would maintain its grandeur.) From the inside of the house, it is mainly quiet and serene. The center point was the fireplace what was carved from a boulder and had a spherical kettle that could swing above the fire. Also, Wright sometimes bent the structure of the house to incorporate the surroundings in an attempt to show harmony of man and nature. For example, a ceiling structure went around a tree that was growing there. The hallways had the boulder in the corner. The ceilings were either open or covered with glass. And finally, an open staircase led down directly to the stream under the house.
Wright himself carefully designed everything ranging from the foundation to the furniture and art of the house. The main theme was to have different layers that sometimes protruded from all sides and to have a sense of the horizontal and vertical feel. As stated before, the outside of the building showed the different pieces of stones. In addition, the different floors of the building crossed each other so there were terraces that protruded outwards on all sides – there weren’t the normal four sides of a building present. As for the furniture, many tables had a smaller foundation/support and an overlarge top. Artworks were often simple sculptures.
Overall, after looking through all the pictures and reading about Fallingwater, I would definitely say it is worthy to be called a work of art!
Resources:
“Fallingwater: Extraordinary Beautiful Waterfall House in Pennsylvania By Frank Lloyd Wright | Home Reviews.” Home Reviews. Home Reviews, 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
“Fallingwater | Home.” Fallingwater. Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
Videoteca Pretérita. “Falling Water Frank Lloyd Wright.” YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.