View Full Version : [Racine] Wingspread - Frank Lloyd Wright


palphd
09-07-2008, 03:44
Building:
Wingspread (AKA Herbert F. Johnson House)

Architect:
Frank Lloyd Wright

Description (Excerpt from Wikipedia):

"Wingspread, also known as the Herbert F. Johnson House, is a house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for Herbert Fisk Johnson, Jr. and built in 1938-1939 in the village of Wind Point near Racine, Wisconsin. The living room is the centre of the home, and four wings extend from it to four "zones": the master bedroom, the children’s rooms, the kitchen and servants' quarters, and the guestrooms/garage. The living room resembles a gigantic dome, and features a tall stone multiple fireplace rising from its centre.

Johnson was also Wright's client for the Johnson Wax Headquarters Building in Racine, which was built at about the same time (1936).

Wingspread is no longer a residence; it was donated by Johnson and his wife to The Johnson Foundation in 1959 as an international educational conference facility."

Location:
The Johnson Foundation
33 East Four Mile Road
Racine, Wisconsin, USA 53402
Phone: (262) 639-3211
Fax: (262) 681-3327

Access:
Public Tours are limited toTuesday through Friday from 9:30am - 3:00pm. No tours are given during conferences. Please check the conference schedule, then call 262-681-3353 or email tour@johnsonfdn.org.

Travel Directions:
Here (http://www.johnsonfdn.org/directions.html)

More Information:
Official Website (http://www.johnsonfdn.org/tour.html)

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:45
Here's the KMZ file...

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:49
Location Maps... (Sorry for the poor quality but that's Lake Michigan to the East).

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:50
Campus Map...

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:53
First Level Floor Plan (As originally designed)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:57
The trademark FLW steel gate at the entrance to the property (painted Cherokee Red, of course)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:58
West Elevation...

palphd
09-07-2008, 03:59
West Elevation (Detail)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:03
North bedroom with cantilevered balcony...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:04
North bedroom with cantilevered balcony (cont'd)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:05
Exterior stair at East Elevation from Main Terrace...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:08
East Elevation (Detail)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:13
Wingspread emblem embedded in concrete outside of Main Entry...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:18
Swimming Pool on the South side. The tapered stone caps were designed to give the edges of the pool a crisp and boundless appearance. Unfortunately, the pool seemed to be in a state of disrepair :(...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:22
The omnipresent grapevines. I believe these are the original vines that were planted shortly after the house was constructed. Nature is truely reclaiming the land!...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:24
Brass wall plaque inside Main Entry Vestibule...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:27
The Great Hall...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:28
The Great Hall (cont'd)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:32
The Great Hall (cont'd). Detail of the spiral stair leading to the lookout platform...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:34
The Great Hall (cont'd). View from Library...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:35
Multi-Fireplace (Masonry Detail)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:36
Playroom...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:38
East Wing Corridor (from the Playroom)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:41
The Steelcase desk and chair set designed for the Johnson Wax Headquarters (on display in the first Children's Bedroom)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:44
Geometric stair leading to the Second Level (including polished brass handrail which, I believe, was added later)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:45
Hexagonal stair landing (from above)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:45
Stair (cont'd)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:47
Top of stair (featuring Dad)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:49
Multi-Fireplace (Second Level detail). Wright designed it specifically to burn long, vertically-oriented logs...:craqueur:

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:51
Multi-Fireplace (Second Level View cont'd)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:53
View looking down through the steel spiral staircase from the look-out deck (featuring m'lady)...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:54
I think I found my spot!...:rock on:

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:56
View looking down to the Great Hall from the Second Level...

palphd
09-07-2008, 04:58
End of the North Bedroom. We're talkin' cantilever, baby!...:cool:

palphd
09-07-2008, 05:07
Second/Mezzanine Floor Material (detail). Made of two inch strips of cross-cut plywood, originally used at the Johnson Wax Headquarters. And yes, that's a heart-shaped stain. Pretty much sums up my feelings for the place...:)

palphd
09-07-2008, 05:12
That's it for now... BTW these pics were taken on May 2nd, 2008 during a whirlwind FLW tour of Wisconsin that ultimately ended at Taliesin. Hopefully, at some point I'll get a chance to share my other pics/experiences from the trip...

ryarch
09-07-2008, 06:27
Great post and pics. Thanks. I love the 'exit' sign to the balcony in post #34. Thanks again for sharing.

ryarch
09-07-2008, 06:34
When you get a detail that works...keep using it. Post #11 shows a stair detail that was used at Falling Water in Pennsylvania. Not exactly the same, but similar in concept.

ThiagoBeck
09-07-2008, 08:04
Well, a master is a master... We can see the magnitude of the space in post #33 by how tiny that piano looks!!! Awesome trip it must have been!!!
Congratulations on the thread!

Henrique.arq
09-07-2008, 12:40
What a space! FLW fucking rulez!
very nice post!
I'm little bit jealous, =D
congratulations!

palphd
09-07-2008, 14:36
I love the 'exit' sign to the balcony in post #34.

It's almost cartoonish isn't it? I noticed it immediately and thought, "Well, wouldn't that make for an interesting egress?" :wondering :rolleyes:

gorgon
09-07-2008, 15:04
Multi-Fireplace (Second Level detail). Wright designed it specifically to burn long, vertically-oriented logs...:craqueur:

Does the fireplace with vertical logs work?

sigue2000
09-07-2008, 15:33
Great post and pics. Thanks. I love the 'exit' sign to the balcony in post #34. Thanks again for sharing.
And the pot plant you'ld stumble over if you used it. :D

palphd
09-07-2008, 15:58
Does the fireplace with vertical logs work?

Yes and no. And I'll explain why...

Once, while the Johnson's were throwing a party, they decided to show off the unique and elegant vertical fireplace on the second floor that Wright had designed for them. The logs were put into position, vertically as intended, and set aflame. The fire raged, though as physics would have it, more so at the base than at the top. This weakened the logs considerably and a couple of them tumbled out onto the floor, blazing away. In a valiant effort, Samuel (Herbert's son), snatched up the logs and ran them to the cantilevered balcony of the daughter's bedroom, tossing them into the ravine below.:clap: