Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright; Architecture in Detail

by Robert McCarter

Unity Temple represents the high point of Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Prairie' period. Still in immaculate condition today, Unity Temple is ordered on a rigorous system of proportion, determined on both exterior and interior by the measurements of the central interior sanctuary space. On the outside this concrete building is rendered as a cubic mass of stone grey; inside, Wright constructed the a space defined by concrete rendered as floating coloured planes, painted in quiet, muted colours. The complexity of geometries and interlocking spaces and forms at Unity Temple is outstanding, and invites the viewer to see the act of building as sacred, and to experience the building as a sacred place.

60 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 1997

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick verdict: Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright; Architecture in Detail is a breezy, charming read that doesn't ask much of you. What worked: the friendship at the center, which feels easy and real. What didn't: a villain so cartoonish I kept waiting for a mustache twirl. Recommend for anyone who wants something light on a lazy afternoon, skip for readers who like their antagonists scary.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight up, Unity Temple is the most fun I've had with a book that's technically about something depressing. Robert McCarter keeps the jokes coming without ever making light of the pain. It's a tightrope, and it mostly works. Great for dark-comedy fans, skip if you don't mix laughs with sorrow.