Building a Legacy: The Restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park Home and Studio

by Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust (Collaborator), Zarine Weil (Editor)

The foreword by Frank Lloyd Wright’s grandson is a nostalgic and warm introduction to the absorbing account of the restoration. Each chapter takes the reader step by step through the fourteen-year project; the history of each building is amply illustrated with photographs of both the people and places. Biographical sketches and floor plans clearly delineate the changes to the original structures. Chapters describing the fund-raising efforts, and the detailed planning that accompanied the restoration, bring to life the incredible dedication, time, and attention to detail from both volunteers and professionals that went into this massive project. The main chapters--the restoration of the Home and of the Studio--are fascinating accounts of what was uncovered from the original buildings, the innovations Wright had used through the years of his work on the place, and how the restoration was accomplished. Throughout beautiful, full-color photographs reveal the depth of Wright’s design acumen and the intensive labor lovingly lavished on the Home and Studio, while historic photographs and asides present compelling information. Wright’s granddaughter, in the Afterword, reminds us all of the continuing need to protect Wright’s message that "design matters." This book is a fitting tribute to his dictum. Published with The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust. 160 pages, 118 full-color and 65 black-and-white photographs, and 10 floor-plan reproductions. Paperbound book, with flaps. 8 x 11.5",

Genres: Architecture

150 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Darcy Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful walk down memory lane and a testimony to the utter determination of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust's original volunteers and their mission. I re-read it to help me write about the late John Thorpe, chair of the restoration committee, but recommend it to anyone with an interest in Frank Lloyd Wright or historic preservation.