Of Fallingwater and Ford Pintos.

In discussing From Bauhaus to Our House during class, I became an admirer of Frank Llyod Wright and his building Fallingwater.

It is a truly beautiful piece of architecture, and was one of Smithsonian Magazine’s “Top 28 Places to Visit Before You Die.” In addition, it is also cited as the source of inspiration for Ayn Rand’s The Fountianhead: a philosophical book that used the rise of the International Style and conformity as an allegory for the danger of conformity and the masses in general.  

 Part of what makes Fallingwater so beautiful is its complete integration with the environment around it. It is built on a natural waterfall which to this day runs under the house. In the hearth area, natural rock is protruding through the floor, creating a natural place to lay down. In areas where glass windows meet stone, there is no metal frame; the glass is attached straight to the stone.

This integration and use of the natural environment exemplifies Wright’s Organic style, which sought to use the terrain and environment around the building to its advantage, rather than just leveling it.

 I found it sad that the rise of the International Style came at the expense of Wright. As it became the primary style of architecture, Wright and his Organic style became archaic and outdated. People still regarded him as a genius, but only a genius of his time rather than a genius who was still relevant. The attitude was similar to the way we might view the Model T: it was amazing and advanced for its time, but has no place or relevance in today’s society. It is ironic that Wright’s “outdated” buildings were often much more technologically advanced and more complex than the International Style buildings that usurped them. It would be as if we declared the Lamborghini too complex and impractical and all began driving “simple” and “non-bourgeois” Ford Pintos.

The fact that his buildings were superior to the International Style and yet were still not popular must have eaten at Wright. I am glad that his buildings are again revered today, and that the International Style is itself being replaced by the Post-Modern, and Post-Post-Modern, and whatever else is on the way. I really hope to be able to see Fallingwater before I die, as it would surely be a remarkable experience.