Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House

by Edgar Kaufmann

Fallingwater is the most famous modern house in America. Indeed, readers of the Journal of the American Institute of Architects voted it the best American building of the last 125 years! Annually, more than 128,000 visitors seek out Fallingwater in its remote mountain site in southwestern Pennsylvania. Considered Frank Lloyd Wright's domestic masterpiece, the house is recognized worldwide as the paradigm of organic architecture, where a building becomes an integral part of its natural setting.
This charming and provocative book is the work of the man best qualified to undertake it, who was both apprentice to Wright and son of the man who commissioned the house. Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., closely followed the planning and construction of Fallingwater, and lived in the house on weekends and vacations for twenty-seven years-until, following the deaths of his parents, he gave the house in 1963 to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to hold for public enjoyment and appreciation.
This is a personal, almost intimate record of one man's fifty-year relationship to a work of genius that only gradually revealed its complexities and originality. With full appreciation of the intentions of both architect and client, Mr. Kaufmann described this remarkable building in detail, telling of its extraordinary virtues but not failing to reveal its faults. One section of the book focuses on the realities of Fallingwater as architecture. A famous building right from its beginnings (only partly because it was Wright's first significant commission in more than a decade), Fallingwater has accumulated considerable publicity and analysis-much of it off the mark. Mr. Kaufmann outlined and dealt with the common misunderstandings that have obscured the building's true values and supplied accurate information and interpretations. In another section Mr. Kaufmann provided an in-depth essay on the subtleties of Fallingwater, the ideology underlying its esthetics. A key element of this is the close interweaving of the house and its rugged, challenging setting, which he explicated in fascinating detail.
The author maintained throughout the direct approach of one who knew and loved Fallingwater. As an apprentice and loyal admirer of the architect, Mr. Kaufmann was well attuned to the architecture. And as a retired professor of architectural history and frequent lecturer and panelist, he had considerable experience in presenting and interpreting Wright's ideas. Thoroughly versed in the books, articles, drawings, and buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright, Mr. Kaufmann was eminently situated to place Fallingwater in that context. This unique record was presented in celebration of Fallingwater's fiftieth anniversary.
Special features of this volume include: numerous never-before published photographs of the house under construction, during its entire history, and of the family in residence; a room-by-room pictorial survey in full color taken especially for this volume; isometric architectural perspectives that explain visually how the house was constructed; and the first accurate, measured plans of the house as built.

Genres: Architecture, Reference, Interior Design

190 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1986

Reviews

[Scott Fuchs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will get you as close to the house as is possible without being there.
Five stars for a six star house!

[Bill Hurlbut · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovingly detailed description of the most famous house in America. Edgar Kaufmann, son of the family that commissioned the house from Frank Lloyd Wright, is a architect himself and has a long relationship with the house and the conservancy that now protects it. His intimate familiarity with its construction and his clear love for the many artistic achievements this house represents are evident in these pages. It includes some of Wright's original drawings for the house, floorplans and elevations, and a wealth of gorgeous pictures.

[Topaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What makes this book great is that it is written by Edgar Kaufmann Jr, son of the original owner of Fallingwater. It is a unique insight and storytelling that is probably not found in any other book about this house. There is not much text but it is easy to read and from the author’s firsthand perspective who was present during the design and construction of the house.

In addition, the photos are all original, taken for this book, not seen elsewhere, and there are many, all in color. There are additional archival images but all the contemporary ones are color and take up most of the book.

There are many photos of details and multiple views of each room. There are also newly created floorplans and drawings showing the structure and layout that I have not seen in any other books.

This is a very thorough document of Fallingwater, without much analysis or academic/philosophical takes. I know there are some other newer books on Fallingwater which I have not yet read but I think this one will hold up as essential due to its author and the timing of the photos.

Photos of the actual book at Amazon

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this after touring Fallingwater a couple of years ago, but just now got around to really reading it. The text is much more in-depth and interesting than I had expected. I knew the photos were gorgeous, but the story of the building of Fallingwater, including how the family worked with Wright and the problems they encountered is really fascinating. It's all a first-hand account given by the son of the family, and as I learned in the book, he worked directly with Wright, even going so far as to join him at Taliesin West for first hand experience with Wright's methods.

I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting deeper insight into Fallingwater and its genius.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most beautiful and insightful books on architectural achievements that I have run across. The extensive color photographs on quality paper warms your heart and "knocks your socks off". The book has many uses for inspiration... from casual browsing, carefully studying, to gaining an incite into design and construction as well as what it was like to live in this treasure.
Kaaufmann's goal: "What we wanted at Fallingwater was neither lordly stateliness nor a mimicry of frontier hardihood, but a good place for city people to renew themselves in nature"

[Jeff Bobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at the inside of a Frank Lloyd Wright house from someone that was intimately involved in construction, living there and then making it a historic place.

Great photos and plans showing it from before construction started to what it looked like when people where living there.

[Valerie]

I'm not sure this is the book I read. I don't remember any detail about the history of the house: just the pictures, technical diagrams, etc, with captions. Maybe it was a different book.

I'm not even sure this is where I heard that the place was hard to live in because the soundproofing was inadequate, and the waterfall was LOUD. But it may be from this book.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just visited the place and bought the book there. Photos are wonderful and text does a nice job explaining the background of the house. Liked that there were architectural drawings of house included.