Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has announced that it has acquired the Bachman Wilson House, designed in the 1950s by Frank Lloyd Wright, and plans to move it to its facility in Bentonville, Ark. The restored house, which is located in Somerset County, N.J., was placed on the market in 2012 by its owners after it was periodically damaged by flooding of the nearby Millstone River. Numerous architectural experts have concluded that moving the house offers its best hope for long-term survival.
One of Wright's celebrated Usonian houses, the Bachman Wilson House will be transported 1,200 miles by J.B. Hunt, an Arkansas carrier, at no charge. The sellers, architects Lawrence and Sharon Tarentino, have agreed to supervise the dismantling and packing process.
The 200,000-sf Crystal Bridges Museum was founded by Alice Walton, who is the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. It opened in 2011 in a facility designed by Moshe Safdie. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed, though the market price was $1.5 million.
“We’re honored to be able to preserve and share this significant example of American architecture, as Frank Lloyd Wright’s work embodies our own mission of celebrating art and nature,” Rod Bigelow, Crystal Bridges executive director, said in a statement.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is on record as supporting the move. “Facing a difficult dilemma after upstream construction and water ‘management’ projects contributed to a repeated untenable flood hazard for their property … the Tarantinos reluctantly concluded that the house required relocation,” Janet Halstead, executive director of the conservancy, said in a statement.
The relocation is expected to be complete by early 2015.
Related Stories
| May 29, 2014
Five finalists, including SOM and Zaha Hadid, chosen in competition for Sweden's tallest skyscraper
In Sernecke's competition to design Sweden's tallest skyscraper, five finalists have been selected: Manuelle Gautrand Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, SOM, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, and Zaha Hadid Architects.
| May 29, 2014
Retail renovation trends: Omni-channel shopping, personalized experiences among top goals of new store designs
In pursuit of enhanced customer experiences, retailers are using Big Data, interactive technology, and omni-channel shopping to transform their bricks and mortar locations.
| May 28, 2014
Video Blog: How today’s construction firms are bridging the BIM gap
Turner Construction and Parsons Brinckerhoff talk about how BIM has revolutionized the way that they conduct projects, and how technology has allowed them to leverage collaboration in such a way that they can work with decentralized teams.
| May 28, 2014
KPF's dual towers in Turkey will incorporate motifs, symbols of Ottoman Empire
The two-building headquarters for Turkey’s largest and oldest financial institution, Ziraat Bank, is inspired by the country’s cultural heritage.
| May 28, 2014
B.R. Fries completes medical center focused on male health
Occupying the building’s entire second floor, the male-centric center is honeycombed with examination and consultation rooms, as well as areas for noninvasive testing.
| May 28, 2014
Moshe Safdie's twin residential towers in Singapore will be connected by 'sky pool' 38 stories in the air [slideshow]
Moshe Safdie's latest project, a pair of 38-story luxury residential towers in Singapore, will be linked by three "sky garden" bridges, including a rooftop-level bridge with a lap pool running the length between the two structures.
| May 27, 2014
Supergreen Venter lab displayed in new walk-through video
ZGF Architects' La Jolla building for genomics pioneer J. Craig Venter and his nonprofit research organization aims to be the first net-zero energy, carbon-neutral biological lab.
| May 27, 2014
America's oldest federal public housing development gets a facelift
First opened in 1940, South Boston's Old Colony housing project had become a symbol of poor housing conditions. Now the revamped neighborhood serves as a national model for sustainable, affordable multifamily design.
| May 27, 2014
One World Trade Center cuts rents due to sluggish activity
Sluggish economy and lackluster leasing force developer The Durst Organization and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to reduce asking rents by nearly 10% to $69/sf.
| May 27, 2014
Fire Rated Glass contributes to open lab environment at JSNN
Openness and transparency were high priorities in the design of the Joint School of Nanoscience & Nanoengineering within the Gateway University Research Park in Greensboro, N.C. Because the facility’s nanobioelectronics clean room houses potentially explosive materials, it needed to be able to contain flames, heat, and smoke in the event of a fire. SPONSORED CONTENT
