flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Unity Temple, Robie House among eight Frank Lloyd Wright projects to receive World Heritage status

Architects

Unity Temple, Robie House among eight Frank Lloyd Wright projects to receive World Heritage status

The UNESCO designation includes signature works designed by Wright during the first half of the 20th century.


By BD+C | July 8, 2019
Unity Temple (Chicago), Photo by James Caulfield, courtesy Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Unity Temple, Chicago. Photo: James Caulfield, courtesy Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

During the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee, currently taking place in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan (June 30 - July 10, 2019), the World Heritage Committee named eight projects by Frank Lloyd Wright to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The designation, officially named “The 20th century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright,” includes signature works designed by the architect during the first half of the 20th century. They are:
• Aline Barnsdall Hollyhock House (Los Angeles)
• Fallingwater (Mill Run, Pa.)
• Frederick C. Robie House (Chicago)
• Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House (Madison, Wis.)
• Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York)
• Taliesin (Spring Green, Wis.)
• Taliesin West (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
• Unity Temple (Oak Park, Ill.)

On making the selection, the World Heritage Committee stated: “These buildings reflect the ‘organic architecture’ developed by Wright, which includes an open plan, a blurring of the boundaries between exterior and interior, and the unprecedented use of materials such as steel and concrete. Each of these buildings offers innovative solutions to the needs for housing, worship, work or leisure. Wright's work from this period had a strong impact on the development of modern architecture in Europe.”

In Chicago, the UNESCO designation coincides with the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust’s announcement of a new Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor and Education Center. The trust owns and maintains Wright’s Home and Studio in Oak Park, Ill., and operates public tours and programs at five Chicago area historic sites, including Unity Temple (1905-08) and Robie House (1908-10).   

“This UNESCO designation firmly establishes Wright’s place on the international stage of modern architecture,” said Celeste Adams, President & CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.

Wright joins pioneers of modern architecture already inscribed on the prestigious list, including Gerrit Rietveld, Walter Gropius, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer and Lucio Costa. There are more than 1,000 World Heritage sites around the world, and the group of Wright sites is now among 24 sites in the U.S.

 

Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago. Photo: Tim Long, courtesy Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago. Photo: James Caulfield, courtesy Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Tags

Related Stories

| Sep 4, 2014

Best of education design: 11 projects win AIA CAE architecture awards [slideshow]

The CAE Design Excellence Award honors educational facilities that the jury believes should serve as an example of a superb place in which to learn. Projects range from a design school in Maryland to an elementary school in Washington.

Sponsored | | Sep 4, 2014

Learning by design: Steel curtain wall system blends two school campuses

In this the new facility, middle school and high school classroom wings flank either side of the auditorium and media center. A sleek, glass-and-steel curtain wall joins them together, creating an efficient, shared space. SPONSORED CONTENT

| Sep 4, 2014

Strong industry growth could be slowed by skilled labor shortage, says Gilbane report

While construction spending for 2014 will finish the year 5.5% higher than 2013 and the unemployment rate in construction is down to 7.5%, the industry has been losing workers for more than five years, according to a new Gilbane report.

| Sep 3, 2014

Ranked: Top local government sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

STV, HOK, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest local government design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.

| Sep 3, 2014

WSP to acquire Parsons Brinckerhoff in $1.35 billion deal

The deal, which has been approved by the boards of WSP and Balfour Beatty, has an enterprise value of $1.243 billion, plus another $110 million in cash retained by PB.

| Sep 3, 2014

The coming architect/engineer brain drain, or 'Curse of the Baby Boomers'

Architecture, engineering, and (presumably) construction firms will face difficulties with management succession, as tens of thousands of Baby Boomers leave the AEC industry. Who will fill the knowledge gap?

| Sep 3, 2014

New designation launched to streamline LEED review process

The LEED Proven Provider designation is designed to minimize the need for additional work during the project review process.

| Sep 2, 2014

Ranked: Top green building sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]

AECOM, Gensler, and Turner top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms. 

Sponsored | | Sep 2, 2014

A smarter way to manage projects

Understanding effective project management helps many big and small organizations to carry out large-scale projects on time, on budget and with lesser commotion.

| Sep 2, 2014

Extreme conversion: 17-story industrial silo to be converted to high-rise housing

As part of Copenhagen's effort to turn an industrial seaport into a bustling neighborhood, Danish architecture firm COBE was invited to convert a grain silo into a residential tower.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Museums

UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art

In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021