This has to be my favourite piece of architecture of all time.  I love all of Frank’s work but this is the creme de la creme of all architecture and quite unbelievable that it was designed and built before the second world war, between 1936 and 1939.  It’s nearly 80 years old and looks like something from the future!

Positioned over a waterfall in southwest Pensilvania (United States) this house was designed and built for the Kaufmann family who owned the Kaufmann department store which was very popular back in the 1930’s.  The house became famous when it featured on the cover of Time magazine in January 1938.  A house that doesn’t seem to stand on solid ground and stretches over a 30 foot waterfall instantly captured everyone’s imagination.

It’s not just the exterior and construction that amazes but also the interior design that features a collection of Wright’s own pieces and a fireplace that was carved out of the very rocks the house was built on.  The whole structure is symbolic of the surrounding natural area and captures Wright’s Japanese influences in colour and form of the windows and protruding cantilever walkways.

Wright was also famously known for a number of iconic building around the United States, one of the most famous being the Guggenheim museum in New York.  Built in 1957-59.

You have to admire Frank’s work and how he devoted his life to promoting architecture.  He truly loved to experiment with new materials and construction methods and often pushed technology and tactics to the brink of their limitations.  With a career that spanned several decades it’s been said that Frank’s influences have changed the way we build and live as he remained passionately devoted to architecture throughout his life.

If you’d like to know more about Frank Lloyd Wright visit the Franks Lloyd Wright Foundation website and experience a multitude of truly inspirational creations.