Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic architectural designs and philosophy

Guggenheim Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright remarked that he had seen a building that was of monumental dignity and beautiful. He cited in the letter addressed to Solomon R. Guggenheim that the building was appropriate for their purpose of constructing a museum. Wright went on to design the museum which he named after Guggenheim. The structure is now widely seen as a masterpiece (Guggenheim.org, n.d.).

The interior space of the Guggenheim Museum sports a spiral ramp ascending to the sky. It is a unique platform for the exhibition of contemporary art. The design is a clear deviation from the common design for museums. The inverted ziggurat of the rotunda is a unique creation of the creation of the architect. It is not a series of interconnected rooms. Rather, this one features a visitor's entry that takes them along a gentle slope through the rotunda on uninterrupted ramp. The open design by Wright makes it possible for visitors to view art on multiple levels simultaneously (Guggenheim.org, n.d.).

2. Robie House

This structure is found near the University of Chicago. Its style features horizontal lines with hipped or flat roofs with wide overhanging eaves. The windows are arranged in straight horizontal perspective. The design is believed to blend in with the landscape. There is clear craftsmanship and a disciplined approach in using ornament. The horizontal design was believed to strike a chord with the prairie landscape. He provided modern requirements for the floor plan. There were children's playrooms, garage and the like. He also used fireproof materials as requested by the owner of the structure (Gibson, 2017).

4. Fallingwater

This structure in situated on a mountain cataract to the South West of Pennsylvania. It is arguably the most famous house in the US. From the south-eastern perspective, the building gives the view the illusion of a stream flowing through the house. This is the "organic architecture form", typical of the transcendental background that Wright had. He believed that nature is intertwined with human life. He even designed an outcrop of a rock leering on the buildings living room floor right to the central hearth. This bound the house to the earth in striking unity. He uses glass liberally in his effort to connect with nature. There are no windows to the falls. There is a central stone core that hosts the fireplace and columns. There is an automatic vista that leads the eye to the woods and the horizon. The designer succeeds is diminishing corners by use windows that seem to turn corners with no mullions. By bending the trellis bam to accommodate a preexisting tree, he submits to the strong nature (Wiebe, 2014).

5. Unity Temple

Unity Temple is located in Oak Park, Illinois. It was built in 1905. It was meant for a Unitarian congregation. The building took a turn in the conventional design for religious structures in Europe and America. The architect made use of concrete in a rather daring style for the time. He created separate spaces for two distinct functions. There is a worship place and another for the service of man. It is an ingenious plan that places function before form (Perez, 2010).

The separating of the above functions creates a hierarchy. It creates a specific atmosphere in the worship place. There are two buildings linked by the lobby entrance. The architect's intention is captured in the plaque engraving "For God's Worship and Service of Man" The entrance is concealed from the surroundings. The visitors are taken on a short journey, ascending from the street level towards the place of sanctity (Perez, 2010).