The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

" ... We know that the good building is not the one that hurts the landscape, but is one that makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built. In Marin County you have one of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen, and I am proud to make the buildings of this county characteristic of the beauty of the County." - Frank Lloyd Wright

The main reason I wanted to do this road trip is so that I could get an in depth look at some of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. I wasn't at all disappointed and to see a building of this magnitude that was based on his vision was really amazing.

One of the first things I noticed was the idea of bringing the outdoors indoors. Both of the main buildings are filled with big plants and flowers down the middle of the the walkways. Above these plants are completely open pieces in the roof. The sunlight shines down through the whole structure and it really gives you that natural feeling that makes you almost forget that you are indoors.

My favorite part of the architecture at the Civic Center were the shapes Frank Lloyd Wright used. He used circles, semi-circles and ovals. When I say those are the shapes he used I mean those are the only shapes that are used. Every single piece of the building is represented by one of those three shapes. Everything from door handles to phone booths to the chairs were all circles or semi-circles. When I looked around it really caught me of guard because I have never seen anything like that before. But it's the little things and the attention to detail that really make it spectacular. Here are some photos of the many shapes seen at the civic center.

With all of these new and different architectural styles there is a thin line between looks and functionality. The Civic Center has had some problems with leaks in the roof and has had to undergo some new remodeling. One thing that was changed almost immediately where the open roofs. It was to impractical so the covered them with Plexiglas. Although in some spots there is sliding glass that opens automatically when it reaches a certain temperature inside. In other places beams were placed across the main openings to give the buildings more stability in case of an earthquake. Some of these beams as you can see were put in less then appealing places. I don't think Frank whould have approved