Frank Lloyd Wright house saved from wrecking ball

[supersuds]

I know we have some Frank Lloyd Wright fans here. This is some good news for Christmas!

 

Developers in Phoenix were threatening to tear down a 1952 Wright creation, a gift to Wright's son and daughter-in-law. It was sold by Wright's granddaughters four years ago to someone whom they thought would preserve it, but this person resold it to someone who wanted to knock down the house and subdivide the property.

Identity of the purchaser hasn't been revealed, but the sale was facilitated through the intercession of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, according to the New York Times.

“If ever there was a case to balance private property rights versus the public good, to save something historically important to the cultural legacy of the city, this was it,” Larry Woodin, the president of the conservancy, said in an interview.

The house presages Wright's Guggenheim Museum design in some ways. It has the spiral ramp effect.

 

 

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/us/wright-house-in-phoenix-is-sold-after-fight-for-preservation.html?smid=pl-share

 

[philr]

Goon news indeed!

Thanks for sharing this!

 

[kimball455]

A fortunate situation. Too often the demolition just happens to happen.
Harry

 

[tolivac]

Interesting place-glad it was saved from the bulldozer and wrecking ball.

 

[rp2813]

I've been casually following this case and was glad to see in this morning's paper that the house has been saved.

 

This was under the radar and other FLW enthusiasts I know weren't aware that the place was in danger.

 

[58limited]

Great save. Reminds me a little of a house used in a James Bond movie once.

 

There is (was) a mostly glass Philip Johnson house four houses down from me. After Hurricane Ike, the owner replaced the glass with vinyl siding. A friend of mine told the owner about Philip Johnson and how important the house is, but the owner didn't care.

 

[appnut]

Whew!!!!

 

[gansky1]

Nice GE range

This is a neat house, hopefully the preservation will be successful long-term.

My grandmother always said she wanted a round house so there would be no corners to clean!

 

[supersuds]

Corners

This house almost looks like it could be hosed down! I'm not sure if I'd want to live in it, but it's a no-brainer to preserve.

I'm not knowledgable enough to know what the range in the kitchen is. Maybe a GE 40 inch? Wonder if it is original? Obviously the fridge is newer.

 

[philr]

Yes the range is a GE from the early 1950s.

 

[applianceguy47]

I'm happy, from the stand point of respecting his unique designs.

The thing is, his designs were often so far flung. They really weren't accessible to the masses. And today the designs are not at all eco friendly. And then there is the asthetics.... which is personal. However, I think most people would agree that his designs did not often bespeak of quaint or homey. Most of his designs had an impact on commercial developement, more than anything.

Still, if some developer was looking to demolish this, and build some.... In the end it is doubtful it would have been any better.

 

[112561]

It would have been criminal to take that place down. Too many of his works have met the wrecking ball already.

 

[davey7]

58 limited -

That's the Elrond, sorry, no elves in that house, Elrod house by John Lautner in Palm Springs (Bambi and Thumper's pad).

 

[58limited]

Right. I looked it up after posting, very neat house. Wish I could afford to build something like that in the Texas Hill Country: I'd like to find a spring coming out of a hillside and build the house around it.

 

[davey7]

There's another similar house in SoCal (inland, in the desert) on top of a cinder cone for sale (or was last year, for like a year).

 

[cadman]

If you've got a spare $45 Mil laying around, the Bob Hope house could be yours. It's also a Lautner and was inspired by the Elrod; located just down the road. The scale of the place is shocking. -Cory

 

[davey7]

There is another celeb house for sale right now, forgot who, Dick Clark perhaps, which is hidden in a hillside.

Just saw pictures over the weekend of the rehab of Gary Coopers house, designed by A. Quincy Jones. Rather a nice house, if a bit bland for mid-century (the rehab was all white). I think it was in Wallpaper*...

Those FLW houses need a lot of maintenance (I saw this quote about his synagogue in the Philadelphia suburbs) - I live near the Robie house and one balcony has been rebuilt like three times in my lifetime.

 

[hydralique]

A. Quincy Jones was a very fine architect who did many mid-century homes, I'd suspect the original house is anything but bland.

 

FYI one of the reasons Hope's estate is so very pricey is the size of the site in prime Toluca Lake. I'm guessing it will eventually  be broken up into some smaller lots but the house will probably be saved. $45 mil is a lot of money for an estate, even one with a star-studded history.

 

[drewz]

A Summer Place

Is the Frank Lloyd Wright House in the movie A Summer Place still standing?