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FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
03.25.2017 - OAK PARK, IL

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WHILE VISITING CHICAGO OVER THE PAST WEEKEND, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A TRIP OUT TO OAK PARK, A SMALL SUBURB ABOUT 20 MINUTES WEST OF DOWNTOWN. wRIGHT SPENT THE FIRST 20 YEARS OF HIS CAREER IN OAK PARK, SO NOT ONLY IS HIS INFAMOUS RESIDENCE AND WORK STUDIO LOCATED HERE, BUT IT IS ALSO HOME TO THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF BUILDINGS DESIGNED BY HIM AS WELL. WHILE THERE, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A GUIDED TOUR OF HIS HOME AND STUDIO, AS WELL AS A WALKING TOUR OF SEVERAL OTHER HOMES HE DESIGNED LOCATED ON THE SAME STREET. I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY WRIGHT'S WORK AND INNOVATIVE DESIGNS, SO I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS DAY MORE THAN ANY OTHER PART OF MY VACATION!

ALONG WITH ME ON THE TOUR WAS MY BROTHER AND OUR FRIEND. LUCKY FOR ME, MY BROTHER ALSO HAS A LARGE INTEREST IN DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BEING ONE OF HIS FAVORITES, IF NOT HIS NUMBER ONE. I'D LIKE TO SAY MY BROTHER DESERVES A DESCENT AMOUNT OF CREDIT FOR MY CAREER CHOICE. HE WAS ALWAYS  EXPOSING ME TO AMAZING BUILDINGS AND DESIGNS WHEN I WAS YOUNG. oUR FRIEND'S GRANDFATHER WAS ALSO AN ARCHITECT, SO THESE TOURS WERE A LITTLE TREAT FOR HER, AS WELL.

STEPPING INSIDE WRIGHT'S HOME GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS. MAYBE IT WAS FROM THE AMAZING DESIGN, OR THE THOUGHT THAT I WAS IN THE SAME SPACE THAT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HAD HIMSELF ONCE CONCEIVED, AT ONE POINT EVEN JUST BEING A PRELIMINARY THOUGHT IN HIS HEAD. OR, MAYBE IT WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS SO COLD OUTSIDE FOR THIS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GIRL, I WAS IN SHOCK WHEN THE WARMTH HIT ME. WHATEVER IT WAS, IT ELEVATED THE EXPERIENCE AND MADE MY HEART RACE EVEN MORE. THROUGHOUT EVERY ROOM WE ENTERED, MY BROTHER AND I WOULD LOOK AT EACH OTHER, BRIGHT-EYED AND GLEAMING FACES, LIKE THE YOUNG KIDS WALKING INTO DISNEYLAND WE ONCE WERE. LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF EACH PIECE OF FURNITURE, FIXTURE, AND DESIGN CHOICE WRIGHT MADE, WAS INVIGORATING. NOT EVEN AN INCH WAS LEFT UN-THOUGHT OUT. FROM THE CHAIR DESIGN, TO THE MODERN DINING ROOM LIGHT FIXTURE, I COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. WRIGHT'S SIGNATURE "COMPRESSION AND RELEASE" METHOD HE USED THROUGHOUT MANY OF HIS DESIGNS HAD A COMPLETE, ONE HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT IMPACT ON MY EXPERIENCE. lEAVING THIS TOUR LEFT ME INSPIRED AND WANTING TO SEE MORE!

UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONLY OTHER TOUR OF A WRIGHT BUILDING IN OAK PARK, UNITY TEMPLE, IS CURRENTLY UNDER RESTORATION AND IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL AUGUST 2017. SO IN THE CAR WE WENT! BEFORE HEADING OFF TO O'HARE AIRPORT, WE STAYED LOCAL - SEARCHING FOR MAPS ONLINE OF OTHER HOMES HE HAD COMPLETED. DRIVING DOWN EACH STREET, IT WAS CLEAR WHICH HOMES WERE A FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT DESIGN, SO DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS BUILT IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD. IT'S KIND OF SILLY HOW WRIGHT WANTED HIS BUILDING TO BLEND WITH NATURE. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND HOW HE COINED THE TERM "ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE", HOWEVER HIS BUILDINGS STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB COMPARED TO THE SURROUNDING VICTORIANS! OVER ALL, THIS WAS AN AMAZING END TO MY VACATION, AND DEFINITELY THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP!

​i'VE INCLUDED A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES FROM THE TOUR. eNJOY :)