Thursday, November 19, 2009

Oregon's only Frank Lloyd Wright building

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The Gordon House at the Oregon Garden was up and moved from its rural farm property in 2001. It's the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed building in the state, and I've been meaning to visit it for awhile. In fact, it's the only Frank Lloyd Wright in the Pacific Northwest.

I've been to the Hollyhock House in Los Angeles: a stunning hilltop Wright home complete with his water + fire combination in the house. Seriously stunning. The Gordon House is very different, and is one of his Usonian designs, meant to be utilitarian and designed specifically for a middle-class family. Life Magazine commissioned Wright in the 1930's to design these homes, "Eight Houses for Modern Living." When the Gordon House was built in the 1960s with his Usonian design (Usonian means United States of North America) for Evelin and Conrad Gordon, it was quite the talk of the town. Visiting the home, it's obviously, and wonderfully, very different from the traditional farm houses in the area. I think I would have liked the Gordons.

While I didn't go inside, it was obvious in peeking around that Wright influenced current home design and the concept of the great room. His approach was to not create tiny mansions but to rethink how homes were used: built-ins, open living space, and another of his signature design elements, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors. The placement of the home, in an orchard of ancient oaks, is perfect.



The Gordon House website

3 comments:

Heather said...

I love the window grilles. Thanks for sharing!

Best Wishes, Marie said...

my book club just read the book "loving frank" by nancy horan. very interesting to learn about the personal life of frank lloyd wright.

viggie said...

What a cool thing to do.