158 Years Ago Today (The Sunday Essay)

6/8/2025

158 Years Ago Today (The Sunday Essay)

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
b. June 8, 1867- d April 9, 1959

On June 8, 1867, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, a man was born who would forever change the world of architecture.

From the 1890’s to the 1950’s, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT design over 1,000 structures. In some way, all of them were iconic.

He was noted for not only designing the structure, but also the furniture and interior features of the structure.

Some of his iconic designs include the Robie House in Chicago, the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, and Fallingwater, in Pennsylvania.

He was also noted for this remarkable and sturdy structure.

The Imperial Hotel, 1923
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

On September 1, 1923 the city of Tokyo and the surrounding area was fully destroyed due to the 8.3 magnitude Great Kantō Earthquake. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel opened that same day and survived the quake.

After word of the survival the Imperial Hotel spread, Wright began receiving commissions in the Los Angeles area.

This was one such project.

The Ennis House
Los Angeles, CA (1925)
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

This house has been seen, in one form or another, by millions. On more than 80 occasions, directors have used this house to film scenes for movies, tv shows and videos.

Perhaps the most noteworthy filming occurred for the 1981 movie “Bladerunner”, starring Harrison Ford.

Harrison Ford in “Bladerunner” filmed in the Ennis House

Think about this.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867. That was four years before electricity was discovered. In 1925 he designed this residence that, in 1982, the movie director Ridley Scott utilized to film a futuristic story occurring in the year 2019!

That is a span of 158 years!!

Incredible.

I could go on and on.

The interest and passion Kimberly and I have for Frank Lloyd Wright led us to a 20 year project renovating our former family home in his style.

So where do I go with this architectural theme celebrating Wright’s birthday for today’s post?

No, no – don’t be silly. I am not to the SIMON & GARFUNKEL song, “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright.” That would be too obvious and do symbolic violence to the ethos of this project.

No, I am going to give you two listens, both involving bands in my collection who have released LPs containing the word “architecture”.

The first is “Souvenir” by ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK 🇬🇧 taken from their 1981 LP “Architecture & Morality.”