Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) is recognized and revered worldwide as one of the greatest architects of the 20th century. His work heralded a new thinking in architecture, using innovation in design and engineering made possible by newly developed technology and materials. His creative ability extended far beyond the border of architecture to graphic design, furniture, art glass, textiles, and decorative products for the home.

This course looks at the professional life of Frank Lloyd Wright—true American icon, highly influential architectural master, and all-around modern dreamer. It illustrates his influence on, and achievements in, modern design, and ends by providing an in-depth review of his body of work resulting from his time at Taliesin West.

The Career of a Master

We begin by looking at an overview of Frank Lloyd Wright's career, which spanned the course of more than seven decades between the 1890s and the later 1950s.

While there are many great quotes credited to Wright, for the purposes of this presentation it is fitting to reference one quote in particular: “Every great architect is—necessarily—a great poet. He must be a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age.”

Wright embodied this spirit in every aspect as he approached any and all realms of design. To him, design was not something solely attainable by the elite, but rather an essential part of every area of life. This belief was evident in his design philosophy, which can be summarized in four words that are related and yet distinct, and, of course, utterly meaningful when it comes to design. These four words are: unity, simplicity, harmony, and integrity.