A visit to the Robie House of Frank Lloyd Wright

I had a chance to visit the Robie house by Frank Lloyd Wright a few weeks ago. It is regarded as the epitome of the Prairie style. The house was decades ahead of its time (3-car garage while virtually everybody used horse carriage, central vacuum system etc). The Robie house was built around 1910, around the time Wright already left the practice of Louis Sullivan (another prominent figure in the development of American modern architecture and pioneer in one of the first true skyscrapers of the time). In these early years of his career, Wright had create several important buildings such as the Unity Church temple, his personal home and studio, and other houses in the neighborhood of Oak Park near Chicago. Here, he created the Prairie Style as we know it, manifested most clearly in the Robie House.

Only more or less a decade into his career, Wright had accomplished a body of work and influence any architect of the day can only dream of. Yet Frank Lloyd Wright would still go on for another four decades in his prolific career that solidified himself as American greatest architect. As Wright left Oak Park for Europe not too long after the Robie House, he brought with him the substantial body of work and philosophy that eventually recorded in the Wasmuth Portfolio, the portfolio that became a huge influence for other modern European architects and set them on their way to define modern architecture.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) we came at the start of the interior restoration process so there are lots of mess around, though we got to learn a lot more when the house details unfold and got to learn how meticulous and serious they are about this long process.

Take away: it’s cold, don’t visit Chicago in the middle of winter.