And If You Go ...

If you do go to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's Annual Conference and you will travel through Toledo, Ohio (anyone driving from the east or south, along I-75) let me know. I can possibly arrange a visit to Toledo's First Congregation Church to view its beautiful collection of 16 Tiffany windows, still in situ in a glorious . The church is just minutes from I-75 and would divert your trip for just an hour or so.

Also nearby is the Toledo Museum of art, which has a Coonley window and a Louis Sullivan teller screen on display. On the museum campus is the Galss Pavilion, designed by SANAA, one of the first great 21st Century buildings.

Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's Annual Conference

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy has opened registration for its annual conference. This year the confrence will be held in Grand Rapids, Michicgan; the confrence theme is "Wright on the Inside".

Frank Lloyd Wright has long been renowned for his work in the decorative arts as well as in architecture. For Wright, the two were inseparable. Furniture, fabrics, tiles, glass and even tableware were all integral contributors to a building's design. While the entire building as a work of art was a widely shared ideal among arts and crafts and modernist architects, few were as prolific as Wright in a spectrum of media or as enduring in their pursuit of innovation in the decorative arts. This was a commitment that would leave a lasting impact on the avant-garde in the decades following World War I as well. Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the nation's great centers for the design and production of furniture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is a fitting location to gain fresh insight on Wright's remarkable output in the decorative arts during this year's conference, Wright on the Inside.

The confrence features tours of nine Wright buildings and there are optional pre- and post-conference tours of Wright and related buildings (including a trip to Midland, Michigan to see the Alden B. Dow Home and Studiio and two of his residential designs -- the Dow house is fantastic -- you should do this).

More information is availiable here on the FLWBC's site, you can view the conference brochure here and register here.

Paolo Soleri on io9

The site io9 has a post on Paolo Soleri and Arcosanti, including a number of images from the Cosanti Foundation that I've never seen before.

It's not deep, but a nice way to kill a few minutes. Be warned, it's a Nick Denton fire-hose-of-crap site, but this post is good. Like all Gawker Media sites, it's living proof of Sturgeon's Law (approprate for a science fiction website, I guess).

(No mention of Oath of Fealty) -- a humiliating omission for a SF site)

Revisiting Wright Plus

The Patch.com site for Oak Park and River Forest is recapping some of the homes featured in last week's Wright Plus Housewalk. Each day this week, the site will publish an article on a single house.

Monday it was the Goodrich House, a 1896 Wright-designed house that is undergoing an extensive restoration to return it to Wright's intended appearance. A lengthier article was published in April with more details on the restoration and an interview with the current owners.

Today, it's the Cessna House, and E.E. Roberts Prairie Style house, the most prolific of Oak Park's turn-of-the-Century architects, with more than 200 identified homes in the suburb.

Buying a Frank Lloyd Wright House

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article, "The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Frank Lloyd Wright Homes" on the current market for Wright homes. I didn't link to it, since it didn't actually say very much -- some Wright houses are expensive! they require repairs! repairs are expensive! and time consuming! -- and flirted with condescension: "Mr. [Crosby] Doe also cautioned that buyers of unique architectural residences like Millard need to be ready to compromise 'in terms of today's modern living'.'' I'm guessing that the Wall Street Journal is unaware that the rest of us relentlessly mock their ugly-ass suburban lumber piles that scream out "MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE ASS".

And, mysteriously, the article used the Bachman-Wilson house as its main example. I don't think anyone is surprised that an expensive house that has a requirement that it be moved to a new location is taking a long time to sell.

But, the WSJ redeemed itself somewhat when it posted a video over the weekend with beautiful photography of a number of Wright houses. If you didn't want to buy one before, you will after watching it.

Big News for Unity Temple

Big news from Lee Bay's blog.

Chicago's Alphawood Foundation is has pledged a $10 million donation to help rstore Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park. The extent and cost of the needed restoration of the century-old building is unknown, but an assessment is on-going.

The deal may also involve a transfer in ownership from the congregation to the Unity Temple Restoration Fund or a newly formed preservation-focused organization; Alphawood will help with the planning for the transfaer and the structuring of the organizations. Unity Temple would continue to be used as a home for the congregation, but responsibility for maintaining the building, funding restoration and operating public programs and tours would shift to the new owner.

It's early days -- the announcement was made to the congregation on Tuesday and will be discussed on Sunday.

[Off Topic] Situational Ethics

I hate ads on weblogs, but if offered enough money to buy into this Kickstarter project I'd slap the biggest, ugliest, most obnoxious banner ad you've ever seen on this page. No mortgage broker too sliiy, no payday loan interest rate too high.

Every man has his price, and mine is plastic Martian tripods and 15mm, WWI-ish tanks fighting over a tabletop. And I'm OK with that.

Usonia Open

"Usonia", the next iteration of At Home with Frank Lloyd Wright, an exhibit on the campus of SC Johnson in Racine, Wisconsin has opened. Mark Hertzberg has the photos.

Details about visiting the company's headquarters, including the interiors of the Administration Building and the Foster-designed Fortaleza Hall are here.

Last Words on the Hoffman Showroom

Debra Pickrel, co-author of Frank Lloyd Wright in New York: the Plaza Years, 1954-1959 and a former board member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, has written a eulogy, "Remembering Frank Lloyd Wright's Bijou" for the Hoffman showroom in Metropolis magazine's blog.

Walk Wright In

Tickets are still available for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trusts's house walk, held next Saturday, May 18. The price is $85 for members, $100 for non-members.

It's a great event, if you can go, do so. Buy the box lunch, it'll make see all of the houses on the tour much easier.

10 Buildings that Changed America

Don't forget that tonight10 Buildings that Changed America will be airing on many PBS stations. The website has expanded considerably for the premier and inclludes a map of the ten buildings along with extra video of each of the ten buildings.

The host is Geoffrey Baer, a popular personality on the Chicago's WTTW who often covers the city's history and architecture.

The Los Angeles Times likes the show, the Washington Post does not, and essentialy for the same reason: the show's breezy populism. The LA Times says the show desn't try to be more than it is and the Post says it doens't try to rise above a superficial, quick tour. Either way, there are worse ways to spend an hour watching TV.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

Mark also recently visited Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and posted a great collection of photographs -- don't miss this one.

Fantastic News from Wright in Racine

File under: Holy Crap! That's Awesome!

Mark Hertzberg at Wright in Racine has broken the news that next year SC Johnson will offer tours of two floors the long-closed Research Tower -- that's the one Wright building that no one ever thought we'd ever get into.

Go to Wright in Racine for extensive photos of the interior, and details on the history and restoration of the tower.

Mark is the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's SC Johnson Research Tower -- a nessessary volume to prepare for what is now almost certainly your 2014 summer vacation to Racine.

Elam House Overnights

On May 7, a portion of the Elam House in Austin, Minnesota will become available for overnight rentals. The Elam House is one of the largest Usonian houses Wright designed, and has only lightly been modified from its original appearance. More information, and a nice photo gallery, is here.

The Elam House will rent out its 820-square-foot Terrace Suite at $250 per night. The Terrace Suite consists of a bedroom with queen size bed, private bath, walk-in closet, living room and kitchen. The living room has a private entrance, dining area, TV and a large floor-to-ceiling fireplace. The kitchen includes a microwave, range, dishwasher, refrigerator, china and flatware. Videos and magazines on the life and works of Wright are provided for guest use during their stay. A patio surrounds the private entrance.

Austin, Minnesota is in the Southwestern portion of the state, and is about an hour's drive from Mason City, Iowa -- home to the restored Park Inn.

[Off Topic] The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Saturday is both Free Comic Book Day and Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you -- get it?) How awesome is that?

If you have kids, check out the free edition of Mouse Guard (Mouse Guard is amazing; no kid should miss it). While the kids are looking at Mouse Guard, grab a copy of the FCBD version of The Walking Dead.

Even Jean Valjean says you should celebrate Free Comic Book Day: