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On February 4th 2009, T.C. Boyle published is new book “The Woman”. Once again, he is talking about another famous American and this time its Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), one of the most visionary architects of all time. However, if you think that this will be a book about Mr. Wright itself and its architecture, you will be surprised. The book focuses on the woman alongside Frank Lloyd Wright’s. Did you know that Mr. Wright’s first employee was a woman? Marion Mahony is her name and she wasn’t only his secretary or housekeeper. Mahony became the world’s first licensed architect and joined Wright in its newly founded company after FLW got fired by Louis Sullivan for taking on outside commissions on the sly.

“The Woman” is the 13th book by T.C. Boyle what he wrote in its house, the famous Stewart House by Frank Lloyd Wright, built in 1910. Boyle is living here with its family since almost 10 years and appreciates the architecture of FLW since he saw it the first time. There are only a few fine and rare examples of great architecture left these days and one of these architectural gems can be found in Vienna. Now, you may think of Richard Neutra who was born in Vienna in1892, but I am referring to another great architect of those days, Adolf Loos. Loos and Wright had a few things in common – Wright built his first house when he was 25 and Loos when he was 27, but both architects garnered acclaim for free-standing dwellings, although both designed many other kinds of well-known buildings. Loos made contact with FLW and Wright was asking him to contribute in one of its exhibitions about modern interior. If you like the architecture than you should check out this great and rare example of Adolf Loos in Vienna. Nestled on park-like grounds, the villa houses a lot of Loos’s interior design, kept in great conditions. It’s a remarkable and museum quality piece of architecture and rare to find throughout Europe.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Are buildings by those famous architects the new ‘Case Study Houses’ of the 21st century, but just on another scale?

For me, architecture can be very fascinating, but also very odious and unfortunately, that’s to often the case. However, New York is a pulsing metropolis with lots of good architecture, but more likely in a much more urban environment than other places. The challenges are more complex because of the spacing and many other building codes and restrictions. Nevertheless, very cool projects are on its way and a few of them just got noted by the New York Magazine’s list of top building designs for 2008. Beside my favorite, the “Bird’s Nest” by “Herzog & De Meuron”, what is looking like a rotating camshaft creating new looks from each angle you are looking at, there got also featured a dangerous looking and almost appearing toppling apartment building designed by OMA. Another noted one is a great development in Chelsea called HL23 by Neil Denari, situated right next to the “high line” – New York’s most innovative park project.

What I like the most is that more and more architects start to re-think their designs to meet energy saving standards and environmental friendly requirements. There is also an endeavor to smoothly integrate such new buildings in existing urban environments and neighborhoods, but with a context to the 21st century and that’s what it is referring them to be the “Case Study Houses” of the 21st century – at least in my opinion.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz