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FallingwaterFallingwater © Art Resource, NY © 2013 Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, AZ/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Fallingwater

Pennsylvania, U.S. Frank Lloyd Wright (architect). 1936–1939 C.E. Reinforced concrete, sandstone, steel, and glass.

Curator Note

"Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece of "Organic Architecture." Instead of looking at the waterfall, the house is built *over* it, integrating the structure with the landscape. The cantilevered concrete terraces echo the natural rock ledges. It represents the harmony between human habitation and nature."

Form

  • Cantilevered reinforced concrete terraces.
  • Organic Architecture: blending into the site.
  • Vertical stone core (local sandstone) anchors the house.
  • Corner windows (glass without mullions) to break the box.
  • Horizontal lines echo the earth.

Function

  • Weekend home for the Kaufmann family (department store owners).
  • To demonstrate living in harmony with nature.
  • To resurrect Wright's career.
  • To test the limits of cantilever technology.
  • To bring the outdoors in.

Content

  • The Waterfall: flows beneath the living room.
  • The Hearth: the heart of the home, built on a natural boulder.
  • Sound of water permeates the house.
  • Designated spaces for servants vs family.
  • Every detail (furniture) designed by Wright.

Context

  • Wright was 67 and considered washed up.
  • Great Depression era.
  • Contrast with the International Style (Le Corbusier's white box on stilts).
  • Engineering challenges (the terraces sagged).
  • American innovation.