Architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his career working in Chicago, Illinois, and its suburbs. His Chicago years were an incredibly prolific time. Today, the city and its suburbs are home to the greatest concentration of Wright buildings in the world. Chicago offered the young architect an immersive environment of creativity and inspiration, shaping his architectural philosophies and laying the foundation for his future career.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust conducts ongoing historic preservation and operates public tours, programs, and events at major Wright sites in four Chicago-area locations: his first Home and Studio and Unity Temple in Oak Park, the Frederick C. Robie House in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, and The Rookery Building Light Court in downtown Chicago.
Tracing Wright’s Work in Oak Park
Wright used his first home to experiment with design concepts that contain the seeds of his architectural philosophy. In his adjacent studio, Wright and his associates developed a new American architecture—the Prairie style. Wright designed over 150 projects in his Oak Park Home and Studio, some of which can be viewed on a walk through the surrounding Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District.
Oak Park is home to the world’s largest collection of Wright-designed buildings. Walk the neighborhood and view the development of Wright’s style between 1889 and 1909. Trace the evolution of American residential architecture just outside Wright’s first home before heading to Unity Temple a few blocks away.
Unity Temple represents a defining moment in Wright’s early career. Designed in Wright’s Oak Park Studio, it is considered the greatest public building of the architect’s Prairie era. Unity Temple announced a new era of innovation in modern architecture when it was built. This National Historic Landmark, exemplifying Wright’s theory of organic design, is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is the oldest Wright building still in use for the same purpose for which it was built.
Architectural Greatness in Chicago
Located on the South Side of Chicago, the Frederick C. Robie House is the consummate expression of Wright’s Prairie style. Inspired by the expansive landscape of the Midwest prairie, Wright’s Robie House sparked a revolution in residential architecture. Recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is a masterpiece of the Prairie style and considered one of the most important buildings in architectural history.
Over in Chicago’s downtown financial district, architects Daniel Burnham and John Root’s landmark Rookery Building contains one of Wright’s most dramatic interior compositions—a luminous central light court. In 1905, Wright was commissioned to remodel the building’s light court and lobbies. He realized a stunning balance between Burnham & Root’s original ornamental ironwork and his own vision to create a spectacular environment.
Summer is the perfect time to get out and explore a new city, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust’s Group Tours Department can assist you in planning an itinerary for your group of 10 or more. To book a tour for your group, email tours@flwright.org.
Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
312-994-4000
flwright.org
Lead Photo:
James Caulfield
Photo courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
