FrankLloydWrightisAmerica'sgreatest-everarchitect.However,fewpeopleknowabouttheWelshrootsthatshapedhislifeandworld-famousbuildings.Now,leadingWelsharchitectJonathanAdamssetsoffacrossAmericatoexploreFrankLloydWright'smasterpiecesforhimself.Alongtheway,heuncoversthetempestuouslifestoryofthemanbehindthemandthesignificanceofhisradicalfamilybackground. Inacareerspanningsevendecades,FrankLloydWrightbuiltover500buildings,andchangedthefaceofmodernarchitecture:Fallingwater,thehouseoverthewaterfall,hasbeencalledthegreatesthouseofthe20thcenturythespirallingGuggenheimMuseuminNewYorkreinventedtheartmuseumtheconcreteUnityTemplewasthefirsttrulymodernbuildingintheworld.ButtheunderlyingphilosophythatlinksallWright'sbuildingsisasimportantasanythinghebuilt. ThoseideaswererootedintheUnitarianreligionofFrankLloydWright'smother.AnnaLloydJoneswasbornandraisednearLlandysulinwestWalesandmigratedtoAmericawithherfamilyin1844,mostlikelytoescapereligiouspersecution.Herson,Frank,wasraisedinaUnitariancommunityinWisconsin,asmallpieceofWalesinAmerica.Thevaluesheabsorbedtherewerebasedonthesanctityofnature,theimportanceofhardwork,andtheneedtoquestionconventionanddefyitwherenecessary.Wright'sarchitecturewasshapedby,andexpressed,thesebeliefs. FrankLloydWrightsetouttocreateanewAmericanarchitectureforanewcountry.Hebuilthisownlifelonghomeinthevalleyhewasraisedin,andhenameditafteranancientWelshbardcalledTaliesin.Itwasthesceneofmanyadventures-andahorrificcrime.In1914,aservantatTaliesinranamokandkilledsevenpeopleincludingWright'spartner,MamahCheney,andhertwoyoungchildren. WrightrebuilthishomeandwentontomarryaMontenegrinwoman,OlgivannaMilanoff,some30yearsyoungerthanhim.ItwasOlgivannawhostruckupontheideathatsavedWright'scareeraftertheWallStreetCrashandpersonalscandallaiditlow.Shedecidedthatherhusbandshouldtakeonapprenticesandthattheapprenticesshouldpayfortheprivilege.TheTaliesinFellowshiphadahands-onapproach,withapprenticesoftenbuildingextensionstoWright'sownhouses,labouringandcookingforhim.Somehowitworked,lastingfordecadesandnurturinghundredsofyoungtalents. FrankLloydWrightdiedin1959aged91whileworkingonhisfinalmasterpiece,NewYork'sincomparableGuggenheimMuseum.HehadbeenborninthewakeoftheAmericancivilwar,thesonofapioneer,anddiedatelevisioncelebrity,inthespaceage.HeisburiedintheshadowofTaliesin,alongsidehisWelshancestors. A150yearsafterhisbirth,JonathanAdamsarguesthatFrankLloydWrightisnowavitallyimportantfigurewhocanteachushowtobuildforabetterworld.Wrightbelievedinwhathecalledorganicarchitecturebuildingsthatgracethelandscape,expressanideaofhowtoliveandrespondtoindividualneeds.Thisbespokeapproach-aphilosophy,notastyle-putshimattheheartofmodernarchitecturalthinking.
