Fallingwater

[stuny]

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About 90 minutes outside of Pittsburgh

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Pintpot]

Wow! That's some location for a house Stuart. 

[masjah]

Terrific shot Stuart.  It would be interesting to compare it with a version in colour (unless it was a native monochrome image).

I'd read a good while ago that there were some structural problems with the building (largely because FLW was pushing the state of the civil engineering art as it was at the time). Presumably these have been put right (Wright?) by now?

 

[NigelG]

Keeping heavy building materials on the cantilevered terraces while the concrete was still curing didn't really help 🙄

[hepcat]

Fallingwater is, of course, THE quintessential FLW house.  However, ten years after Fallingwater, FLW built the Walter house near Quasqueton, IA on the Wapsipinicon River.  While the site isn't as spectacular as Fallingwater, the house itself benefitted from ten more years of experience with materials and is the house Fallingwater SHOULD have been.   The Walter house is a FLW Signature Home which makes it even more interesting.   I highly recommend it. 

Edited May 10, 2024 by hepcat

[war]

I prefer your color rendition that you posted elsewhere.

[war]

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1 hour ago, masjah said:

Terrific shot Stuart.  It would be interesting to compare it with a version in colour (unless it was a native monochrome image).

I'd read a good while ago that there were some structural problems with the building (largely because FLW was pushing the state of the civil engineering art as it was at the time). Presumably these have been put right (Wright?) by now?

 

Those structural problems were resolved in a major restoration and further specific restorations in the last ten years have followed. It's pristine and open to the public. The sound of the falling water is a delight, but I wouldn't want to sleep there.

[war]

 

A rant in defense of Frank Lloyd Wright and his fellow professionals.

Lots of bad press about FLW's leaky roofs and failing structural systems. We only hear about his failures because he is quite famous. But he is not alone, as there is rarely an architecturally significant building constructed, that does not suffer from similar difficulties, even programatic failures. We just don't read about them, we also don't think about the neglect and abuse buildings take during their livelihood from lack of routine care and maintenance. How long would your espresso machine last if you didn't run some decalcifier through it once in a while? (Oh oh you were just reminded) Most building owners reluctantly accept a certain amount of discomfort and additional costs as the result of possessing a functional work of art that is unique and represents cutting edge technology that may have not been experienced.  Architects do share responsibility in these experiments in design and construction as well through the tremendous cost of liability and errors and omissions insurance. Lloyds of London, et al. literally become your partner as they often represent your largest business expense!  

[stuny]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:07 AM, masjah said:

Terrific shot Stuart.  It would be interesting to compare it with a version in colour (unless it was a native monochrome image).

I'd read a good while ago that there were some structural problems with the building (largely because FLW was pushing the state of the civil engineering art as it was at the time). Presumably these have been put right (Wright?) by now?

 

As you see above, several members have answered your questions.  At present, the conservancy is building Wright's guest house based on his plans, and it sits just above Fallingwater, plus there is continual need formwork on the buildings. If you plan to visit, buy your tickets online, well in advance, and not during any school holidays,   There were plans for several other Wright buildings on the property.  I don't know if any willbebuillt,  We've visited about two dozen Wright buildings and admired them all.  The most spectacular was Fallingwater, but the most livable is Dana House in Springfield, Illinois, which is more spectacular inside than Fallingwater, and by quite large margin.   Generally, we've found Wright homes though lovely, not to our liking to live there, other than Dana house.

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[Lelmer]

On a documentary standpoint, I prefer your color version, Stuart.

[war]

I had forgotten to complement you on your rendition of the waterfall itself, taken in real time rather than that dreamy cotton candy look of an extra long exposure. Most appropriate architecturally, bravo.

[pippy]

On 5/10/2024 at 3:35 PM, war said:

...The sound of the falling water is a delight, but I wouldn't want to sleep there...

Apparently the sound of running water has manifested itself as 'the obvious' problem for some who were staying over, as guests, in the past.

I'd be happy to chance it, though! Absolutely astonishing building.

Philip.

[hepcat]

18 hours ago, stuny said:

 We've visited about two dozen Wright buildings and admired them all.  The most spectacular was Fallingwater, but the most livable is Dana House in Springfield, Illinois, which is more spectacular inside than Fallingwater, and by quite large margin.   Generally, we've found Wright homes though lovely, not to our liking to live there, other than Dana house.

The Dana house is, of course, a Prairie Style home, and Fallingwater more in the Usonian style.  Prairie Style houses were known for their extraordinarily finely decorated Arts & Crafts interiors while the point of the Usonians was to simplify the dwelling into a unified indoor-outdoor living experience with lots of large windows that open onto manicured lawns and bring the outdoors inside.  They are, of course, built with very different goals in mind and for very different audiences.    My wife and I considered buying the Edmonds House,  a Prairie Style house by architect Howard Burr built in 1916 and located in NW Iowa some years ago, but decided against it as it needed significant repairs including foundation work.   We ended up with more of a Usonian-style ranch home built in 1960 in eastern Iowa where we are today.   Even as much as I admire them, we fit in the Usonians better than in the Prairie Style homes.

[fotografr]

On 5/10/2024 at 6:48 AM, Pintpot said:

Wow! That's some location for a house Stuart. 

And some house for the location.

[fotografr]

On 5/10/2024 at 10:27 AM, war said:

 

A rant in defense of Frank Lloyd Wright and his fellow professionals.

Lots of bad press about FLW's leaky roofs and failing structural systems. We only hear about his failures because he is quite famous. But he is not alone, as there is rarely an architecturally significant building constructed, that does not suffer from similar difficulties, even programatic failures. We just don't read about them, we also don't think about the neglect and abuse buildings take during their livelihood from lack of routine care and maintenance. How long would your espresso machine last if you didn't run some decalcifier through it once in a while? (Oh oh you were just reminded) Most building owners reluctantly accept a certain amount of discomfort and additional costs as the result of possessing a functional work of art that is unique and represents cutting edge technology that may have not been experienced.  Architects do share responsibility in these experiments in design and construction as well through the tremendous cost of liability and errors and omissions insurance. Lloyds of London, et al. literally become your partner as they often represent your largest business expense!  

I quite heartily agree with Wally. Back in the 1990s I was offered a three day weekend at the FLW designed Seth Peterson Cottage in exchange for photos to be taken during my stay. The experience was unique and exhilarating-- very much like walking into a painting by one of the old masters. The furniture, also Wright designed, wasn't the most comfortable and I had to be careful not to bang my head going from the living room to the bedroom, but that was a small inconvenience compared to the overall feeling of being there. The only time I ventured out of this lovely cabin was to catch some nice light for exterior shots. 

The cabin is still available for short term rents but the last time I checked the wait list was three years. 

https://www.sethpeterson.org/

 

[war]

Brent, you were fortunate to have had that opportunity to actually live in the space for your assignment.  The best architectural photographs in my opinion are those that result from the photographer "loving" the project being photographed and taking the time to fully understand it.  I've seen assistants come in and set everything up before the maestro appears, takes the shots and leaves without ever having previously visited the building or even having looked at the drawings.  The results certainly professional and usable but laking in communicating something special. 

My question is what happened to your photos, where they used? 

[Michael-IIIf]

On 5/10/2024 at 11:40 AM, stuny said:

About 90 minutes outside of Pittsburgh

I did a pilgrimage to there many years ago.

They say never meet your idols but in this case I can truthfully say the experience was better than I could have hoped for. It is sublime. That visit was the culmination of a small road trip I did with a colleague. We ticked off some of FLW's lesser known resi projects in obscure suburbs, often getting hopelessly lost, and welcomed into stranger's homes when we sought directions. A thoroughly enjoyable tour and Fallingwater in Bear Run was the icing on the cake.

[fotografr]

On 5/15/2024 at 10:24 PM, war said:

Brent, you were fortunate to have had that opportunity to actually live in the space for your assignment.  The best architectural photographs in my opinion are those that result from the photographer "loving" the project being photographed and taking the time to fully understand it.  I've seen assistants come in and set everything up before the maestro appears, takes the shots and leaves without ever having previously visited the building or even having looked at the drawings.  The results certainly professional and usable but laking in communicating something special. 

My question is what happened to your photos, where they used? 

Wally, if you check the link in my post above you'll see some of them. It's a slide show format. Others have been sent out all over the country in press packets.

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Hallo,

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[war]

16 hours ago, fotografr said:

Wally, if you check the link in my post above you'll see some of them. It's a slide show format. Others have been sent out all over the country in press packets.

Very nice photos. Some buildings, like people, are made to be photographed.  He died only a year later, I remember that.