(1) Frank Lloyd Wright considered himself one of the greatest architects of all time. Not
everyone agrees with this assessment. However, most people recognize his great influence on
modern American architecture.
(2) Born in Wisconsin in 1867, Wright grew up in a family that often had trouble making ends
meet. He attended the University of Wisconsin but left early for Chicago, where the Great Fire of
1871 created many opportunities in the building trade. After working for several firms, he
eventually landed a job at the company in which Louis Sullivan, a famous pioneer of modern
architecture, was a partner. Wright remained there for several years, often quarreling with
colleagues, before proceeding to establish his own architecture firm where he could experiment
with his own ideas and style.
(3) Wright's "Prairie style" is very modern, and his buildings often suggest the wide expanse of
the
American plains. These projects inspired other architects to think of space in a new way. They
began to design rooms in a building not as separate spaces but as a flowing whole.
(4) Although his "Prairie style" is considered his best, some of Wright's more famous designs
show other influences. The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, for example, features a large
spiral that contrasts with its urban surroundings. Another of Wright's buildings, Fallingwater in
rural
Pennsylvania, is built over a waterfall and blends seamlessly into its wooded, natural
environment.