Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867, in Richland Center, Wisconsin, to parents William Carey Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones. From a young age, Wright showed an interest in architecture and design, and he was heavily influenced by his mother's love of nature. This early exposure to the beauty of the natural world would later shape his architectural philosophy.
Wright attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied civil engineering. However, he left before obtaining a degree and moved to Chicago to pursue a career in architecture. Chicago at the time was still recovering from the devastation of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and was in need of talented developers to rebuild the city.
Upon arriving in Chicago, Wright began working as a draftsman for the renowned architectural firm of Joseph Lyman Silsbee. It was during this time that he honed his skills as an architect and began to develop his own unique style. In 1893, Wright opened his own architectural practice in Oak Park, Illinois, where he would spend the majority of his career.
Wright was a pioneer of the Prairie School architectural movement, which sought to blend buildings with the surrounding environment. He believed that architecture should harmonize with nature, and he incorporated elements such as horizontal lines, flat roofs, and open interior spaces into his designs. Some of his most famous works from this period include the Robie House in Chicago and the Unity Temple in Oak Park.
One of Wright's most famous works is Fallingwater, a house he designed in 1935 for the Kaufmann family in Pennsylvania. The house is built over a waterfall, seamlessly blending with its natural surroundings. Fallingwater is considered a masterpiece of modern architecture and has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture."
Frank Lloyd Wright was not only a talented architect but also a writer and educator. He designed over 1,000 structures during his career, with 532 of them being completed. Wright's innovative designs and principles of organic architecture continue to influence architects and designers to this day. He passed away on April 9, 1959, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of architecture.
Wright was married three times, first to Catherine Wright, then to Miriam Wright, and finally to Olgivanna Wright. Despite his tumultuous personal life, Frank Lloyd Wright's impact on the world of architecture is undeniable, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of architects to come.