Organic Architecture

    Everyone depends on architecture, but few understand that such construction should be “grown” from its surroundings, adding zest to nature. Organic Architecture shows the premise of a building’s natural side. It is not just a form of building something, but is a philosophy that changes its physical aesthetics depending on nature. Though this philosophy has its free forms, it still has protocols as well. These rules were made by Frank Lloyd Wright, the man who conceived Organic Architecture.  Wright’s rule was “form concept and function are one”. This accomplishment results from years of work to help master and perfect a new architectural form.

Though Frank Lloyd Wright was a very dogmatic architect, he was influenced by a multitude of factors in his life.  At a young age, Wright’s ideas were enforced by Froebel blocks, a series of wooden blocks utilized for children’s educational play.  This major tool taught Wright the art of geometric designs and math. Nature also had a big impact on Wright’s life as well as his career.  He spent much of his life on farms, which helped him gain an understanding of patterns of growth. In his family, music was valued because of its intricacy.  Wright learned how to play the piano,  which helped him develop the understanding of ornate styles. Music taught him structure, organization, and details that are major factors  included in architecture as well. Japanese prints also inspired Wright for simplistic but natural styles. These prints inspired him because of their aesthetic beauty and sense of geometry. Since these prints were made of rice paper and vegetable dye, Wright thought this complimented the earthly look of his architecture. Louis Sullivan also had an impact on Wright’s architecture. Since Sullivan had taught Wright for many years, Sullivan’s work helped perfect Wright’s organization and structure. 

 
Frank Lloyd Wright was a student at the University of Wisconsin; at age 19, he left for Chicago to pursue his dream job as an architect. For a year, Wright worked for  the architectural firm of Joseph Silsbee and then worked for the famous architects, Sullivan and Adler for four and a half years.  In 1893, Wright began his own company. Throughout Wright’s career, he gave lectures, wrote books, and articles about Organic Architecture.  Additionally, he created many buildings such as the Unity Temple, Falling water, Guggenheim Museum, and the Taliesin. 

   
           Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings had a  more natural feel to them as he became deft in his field. Unity Temple, one of Wright’s first buildings, was a concrete church built in Illinois. In 1893, when Wright and Sullivan first had separate businesses, Wright built a house for his family, called Oak Park. In 1911, Wright started building Taliesin, a new house for his new wife and her children. Unfortunately his new family perished in a fire in this very home that he built. Instead of mourning, Wright spent his energy on rebuilding Taliesin. After this major project, it burned down again, but Wright was determined to keep the site alive. In the end Taliesin III was built and still stands today.

 
            There were other popular buildings that Wright is well known for.  At age 70, he designed the masterpiece, Fallingwater, located in Bear Run, Pennsylvania.  It is well meshed with the landscape and had similar shapes of the land where it was embedded.  It is suspended over waterfalls, which pours from one of the man made terraces.  The building appears to grow out of the natural land.  Another famous structure is the Imperial Hotel, located in Tokyo, Japan.  This design is famous for its support structure, which is earthquake-proof.  It was put to the test during the Great Kanto earthquake, and was one of the few buildings that remained after the devastation.

 
           Organic Architecture is utilized in many structures today. In such buildings, Wright included materials that existed in its environment to sprout an idea that would have an acquired feeling. Organic Architecture is not just any type of architecture, it is part of its surroundings and nature itself. Like its surroundings, Organic Architecture needs the right amount of light, darkness, and protection. Architecture needs a natural look but it still has to fit in with the surrounding backdrop. The house and nature has to connect and have a strong, but natural bond. Organic Architecture does not copy nature but it forms from nature. 

 
          Frank Lloyd Wright’s apprenticeships led to not only utilization of common architectural techniques, but also led to a new style that was individually created.  Organic Architecture was derived from experience and creativity to develop independent ideas.  Wright’s work has influenced others over the years and into the present.  His designs, books, articles, and speeches influenced others on a global basis.  European architects hail Wright as an innovative individual who has done meaningful things.  His works helped start Art Deco Styles in Paris.  His geometric designs influenced others to create similar structures.  Therefore, Organic Architecture is an original concept that has great impact on structures past and present.