Frank Lloyd Wright: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture grew out of the Chicago School's structural honesty, kindergarten geometry, and Japanese woodblock space — then radiated outward through the Taliesin Fellowship and the 1910 Wasmuth Portfolio. This mix traces the Prairie School's roots, its Midwestern rivals, and the desert-modern successors who claimed his lineage.

The Kynda mix for Frank Lloyd Wright

• Key Influence · Wainwright Building by Louis Sullivan (1891). Wright joined Adler & Sullivan in 1888 and worked directly under Sullivan, whom he called his 'Lieber Meister,' handling much of the firm's residential work while Sullivan pursued tall buildings. The Wainwright's insistence that ornament grow from structure and that form follow function became Wright's lifelong creed, restated as organic architecture. Wright's expulsion in 1893 over bootlegged houses never erased the debt.
• Influencia Obscura · Froebel Gifts by Friedrich Froebel (1837). Wright repeatedly credited the kindergarten blocks his mother Anna bought after the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial: maple spheres, cubes and cylinders, gridded tables, folded paper. In his autobiography he described feeling the smooth shapes in his fingers for years afterward. The Prairie houses' interlocking planes, pinwheel plans and unit-system grids read as Froebel's abstract geometry built at architectural scale.,
• Local Roots · Newman College, University of Melbourne by Walter Burley Griffin (1918). Griffin worked in Wright's Oak Park studio from 1901, supervising construction and coloring drawings before leaving in 1906 after a dispute over fees and credit. He carried Prairie School geometry to Australia after winning the Canberra competition. Newman's domed refectory and knit-stone geometry show a Wright alumnus pushing the language toward monumental civic form far from Illinois.,
• Beyond the Medium · One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige (1858). Wright became a serious dealer and collector of Japanese woodblock prints, selling them to fund his practice and exhibiting them at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1906. Hiroshige's elimination of the inessential, flattened layered space, cropped foregrounds and low horizons shaped Wright's sheltering eaves, compressed entries and screened views — the print's spatial logic translated into the Prairie house plan.,
• Peer · Gamble House by Greene and Greene (1909). Charles and Henry Greene were building their Pasadena ultimate bungalows in exactly the years of Robie House, arriving independently at low horizontal massing, deep sheltering eaves, integrated furniture and Japanese-inflected joinery out of the same Arts and Crafts and Japonisme currents that fed Wright. The Gamble House is the West Coast answer to the Prairie house, timber-framed rather than plastered and banded.,
• From the Canon · Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright (1937). Commissioned by Pittsburgh merchant Edgar J. Kaufmann and cantilevered over Bear Run rather than facing it, Fallingwater arrived when Wright was nearly seventy and widely presumed finished, relaunching him toward Johnson Wax and the Guggenheim. Its reinforced-concrete trays, native sandstone cores and hearth set on living rock are organic architecture's definitive demonstration piece.,
• Key Collaborator · Canberra federal capital competition renderings by Marion Mahony Griffin (1912). Mahony, the first woman licensed as an architect in Illinois, worked in Wright's Oak Park studio from 1895 and drew many of the presentation perspectives that made the Prairie style legible, including plates for the Wasmuth Portfolio. Her panoramic ink-and-gouache renderings for husband Walter Burley Griffin's winning Canberra scheme show the draftsmanship that shaped Wright's public image.,
• Legacy · Bavinger House by Bruce Goff (1955). Goff met Wright's work as a teenage apprentice in Tulsa and became the most inventive of the loosely Wrightian Americans, later chairing architecture at the University of Oklahoma. The Bavinger House's logarithmic stone spiral, suspended pods and cable-hung roof push organic architecture past Wright's geometry into something wilder, built largely by the owners from local sandstone and salvage.,

What influenced Frank Lloyd Wright

• Henry Hobson Richardson (1838). Wright's Prairie house designs are said to descend from Richardson's Japanese-influenced train station work. (also via Unity Temple, Oak Park, John J. Glessner House, Marshall Field Wholesale Store) “an undeniable precursor to Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie house designs.” (Wikipedia)
• Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814). States Viollet-le-Duc influenced Frank Lloyd Wright. (also via Entretiens sur l'architecture) “He also influenced the first modern architects, Frank Lloyd Wright , Mies van der Rohe , Auguste Perret , Louis Sullivan , and Le Corbusier” (Wikipedia)
• Auditorium Building by Adler & Sullivan (1889). Auditorium Building (Adler & Sullivan) — titan for Frank Lloyd Wright “Raised in rural Wisconsin, Wright studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and later apprenticed in Chicago, first briefly with Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and then with Louis Sullivan at Adler & Sullivan.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ho-O-Den Pavilion. Wright's open living space concept is traced to the Ho-O-Den Pavilion's design. “The open living spaces of his early homes were likely appropriated from the World's Columbian Exposition 's Ho-O-Den Pavilion , whose sliding-screen dividers were removed in preparation for the event.” (Wikipedia)
• Beth Sholom Congregation. States Wright was commissioned to design the Beth Sholom Congregation synagogue in Philadelphia. “It had commissioned Architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a synagogue which would ‘wed the Ameri can spirit to the ancient spirit of Israel.’” (The Southern Jewish Weekly (Jacksonville, Fla.))
• Entretiens sur l'architecture by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. States Viollet-le-Duc's writings inspired Frank Lloyd Wright. “His writings inspired several American architects, including Frank Furness , John Wellborn Root , Louis Sullivan , and Frank Lloyd Wright .” (Wikipedia)
• Okakura Kakuzō. Okakura Kakuzō's ideas mediated Wright's interpretation of Japanese tea ceremony architecture. “His interpretation of chashitsu ( tea ceremony venues), mediated by the ideas of Okakura Kakuzō , was of an architecture that emphasized openness, the "vacant space between the roof and walls."” (Wikipedia)
• One Hundred Famous Views of Edo by Utagawa Hiroshige (1858). One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Utagawa Hiroshige) — culture for Frank Lloyd Wright “Wright owned prints from masters such as Okumura Masanobu, Torii Kiyomasu I, Katsukawa Shunshō, Utagawa Toyoharu, Utagawa Kunisada, Katsushika Hokusai, and Utagawa Hiroshige; he was especially fond of Hiroshige, whom he considered "the g…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• John J. Glessner House by Henry Hobson Richardson. Wright's Prairie School houses were influenced by the Glessner House. “The Glessner House in particular influenced Frank Lloyd Wright as he began developing what would become his Prairie School houses.” (Wikipedia)
• Charles Robert Ashbee. Ashbee's claim about Wright adapting Japanese forms is directly addressed by Wright. “Responding to a claim by Charles Robert Ashbee that he was "trying to adapt Japanese forms to the United States," Wright said that such borrowing was "against [his] very religion."” (Wikipedia)
• Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven's music is cited as a major influence on Wright. “Music (his favorite composer was Ludwig van Beethoven )” (Wikipedia)
• Ernest Fenollosa. Wright's views on Japanese art are said to derive substantially from Fenollosa's ideas. “His ideas about the art of Japan appear to have drawn greatly from the activities of Ernest Fenollosa , whose work he likely first encountered between 1890 and 1893.” (Wikipedia)
• Marshall Field Wholesale Store by Henry Hobson Richardson. Wright was influenced by the Marshall Field Wholesale Store. “its remarkable design influenced Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many other architects.” (Wikipedia)
• Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1855). Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman) — culture for Frank Lloyd Wright (openlibrary.org)
• The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones (1856). The Grammar of Ornament (Owen Jones) — ghost for Frank Lloyd Wright (wikidata.org)
• Froebel Gifts by Friedrich Froebel (1837). Froebel Gifts (Friedrich Froebel) — ghost for Frank Lloyd Wright “A book entitled Inventing Kindergarten, by Norman Brosterman, examines the influence of Friedrich Fröbel on Frank Lloyd Wright and modern art.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Wainwright Building by Louis Sullivan (1891). Wainwright Building (Louis Sullivan) — titan for Frank Lloyd Wright “Raised in rural Wisconsin, Wright studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and later apprenticed in Chicago, first briefly with Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and then with Louis Sullivan at Adler & Sullivan.” (en.wikipedia.org)

Peers and kindred spirits

• Louis Sullivan. Establishes a mentorship/collaboration relationship between Sullivan and Wright. “Sullivan took [Wright] under his wing and gave him great design responsibility.” (Wikipedia)
• Schindler House by Rudolph Schindler (1922). Schindler House (Rudolph Schindler) — collaborator for Frank Lloyd Wright “Most notably, in 1911, he was introduced to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright through the influential Wasmuth Portfolio.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Antonin Raymond (1888). Raymond worked directly for Wright and led construction of the Imperial Hotel. “The Czech-born architect Antonin Raymond worked for Wright at Taliesin and led the construction of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.” (Wikipedia)
• Clarence S. Darrow. States that Clarence Darrow stood by and helped Frank Lloyd Wright through his marital difficulties, indicating a personal/collaborative connection. “These friends pointed to other fiends of the architect, including Clarence S. Darrow' and Carl Sand iurg, who had stood by him and ried to help him out of his marital lifficulties with Miriam Noel Wright.” (Baraboo Weekly News (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?)
• Marion Mahony. Mahony collaborated with Wright, designing features for his houses. “Mahony, the third woman to be licensed as an architect in Illinois and one of the first licensed female architects in the U.S., also designed furniture, leaded glass windows, and light fixtures, among other features, for Wright's houses.” (Wikipedia)
• George Elmslie (1861). Elmslie shared office space and worked alongside Wright at Adler & Sullivan. “By 1890, Wright had an office next to Sullivan's that he shared with friend and draftsman George Elmslie , who had been hired by Sullivan at Wright's request.” (Wikipedia)
• Carl Sandburg. States that Carl Sandburg stood by and helped Frank Lloyd Wright through his marital difficulties, indicating a personal/collaborative connection. “These friends pointed to other fiends of the architect, including Clarence S. Darrow' and Carl Sand iurg, who had stood by him and ried to help him out of his marital lifficulties with Miriam Noel Wright.” (Baraboo Weekly News (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?)
• Gamble House by Greene and Greene (1909). Gamble House (Greene and Greene) — peer for Frank Lloyd Wright (wikidata.org)
• Canberra federal capital competition renderings by Marion Mahony Griffin (1912). Canberra federal capital competition renderings (Marion Mahony Griffin) — collaborator for Frank Lloyd Wright “In his Prairie School days, Wright's office was populated by many talented architects, including William Eugene Drummond, John Van Bergen, Isabel Roberts, Francis Barry Byrne, Albert McArthur, Marion Mahony Griffin, and Walter Burley Gri…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rietveld Schröder House by Gerrit Rietveld (1924). Rietveld Schröder House (Gerrit Rietveld) — peer for Frank Lloyd Wright (wikidata.org)
• Newman College, University of Melbourne by Walter Burley Griffin (1918). Newman College, University of Melbourne (Walter Burley Griffin) — geography for Frank Lloyd Wright “As his son John Lloyd Wright wrote: William Eugene Drummond, Francis Barry Byrne, Walter Burley Griffin, Albert Chase McArthur, Marion Mahony, Isabel Roberts, and George Willis were the draftsmen.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Carson Pirie Scott Store by Louis Sullivan (1904). Carson Pirie Scott Store (Louis Sullivan) — geography for Frank Lloyd Wright “Raised in rural Wisconsin, Wright studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and later apprenticed in Chicago, first briefly with Joseph Lyman Silsbee, and then with Louis Sullivan at Adler & Sullivan.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Katharine Cornell. Darwin D. Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright) — geography for Katharine Cornell (via Darwin D. Martin House) (wikidata.org)

Who Frank Lloyd Wright influenced

• Tadao Ando (1941). Ando traveled to study Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings. (also via Yamamura House (Yodoko Guest House), Ashiya, Imperial Hotel) “He later travelled to study buildings by masters such as Le Corbusier , Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , Frank Lloyd Wright , and Louis Kahn” (Wikipedia)
• Frank Gehry (1929). Gehry acknowledges Frank Lloyd Wright as a reference point he was consciously reacting to. (also via Guggenheim Museum Bilbao) “How much was Frank Lloyd Wright in your mind? FRANK GEHRY: I knew he would hate what I did.” (The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (public broadcasting))
• Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry (1997). Gehry describes his Guggenheim Bilbao design as a direct critique of Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim New York. (also via Guggenheim Museum New York) “my work was a kind of a critique of him; that we needed galleries that could be used for what's going on now and hopefully in the future” (The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (public broadcasting))
• I. M. Pei (1917). Pei was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's work. “Pei was also influenced by the work of U.S. architect Frank Lloyd Wright . In 1938 he drove to Spring Green, Wisconsin , to visit Wright's famous Taliesin building.” (Wikipedia)
• Martha Graham (1894). Compares Graham's influence on dance to Frank Lloyd Wright's on architecture. “Her impact has been also compared to the influence of Stravinsky on music and Frank Lloyd Wright on architecture.” (Wikipedia)
• Julie. Caller identifies local architect Julie as a protege of Frank Lloyd Wright. “Oh what Julie is that she was a Frank Lloyd Wright protege.” (Focus 580 (public broadcasting))
• Bavinger House by Bruce Goff (1955). Bavinger House (Bruce Goff) — legacy for Frank Lloyd Wright “A 1951 Life magazine article stated that Goff was "one of the few US architects whom Frank Lloyd Wright considers creative...scorns houses that are ‘boxes with little holes." == Early years == Bruce Goff's father, Corliss, was the younge…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tsuchiura. Tsuchiura's later buildings resembled Wright's subsequent work, indicating mutual influence. “Tsuchiura went on to create so-called "light" buildings, which had similarities to Wright's later work.” (Wikipedia)
• Thorncrown Chapel by E. Fay Jones (1980). Thorncrown Chapel (E. Fay Jones) — legacy for Frank Lloyd Wright “An apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright during his professional career, Jones is the only one of Wright's disciples to have received the AIA Gold Medal (1990), the highest honor awarded by the American Institute of Architects.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier also acknowledged the impact of the Wasmuth Portfolio. (via Wasmuth Portfolio, Fallingwater) “Le Corbusier would later describe these as "my guide, my choice" and as "time-honored ideas, ingrained and deep-rooted in the intellect, like entries from a catechism." Like his contemporaries Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe, Le…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Chemosphere by John Lautner (1960). Chemosphere (John Lautner) — legacy for Frank Lloyd Wright “In the Taliesin days, Wright employed many architects and artists who later become notable, such as Aaron Green, John Lautner, E.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886). Mies acknowledged the impact of Frank Lloyd Wright's Wasmuth Portfolio. (via Wasmuth Portfolio)