In Rochester…
A couple of years ago, I had
the privilege of participating in a tour of the Boynton House in Rochester, owned by Fran
Cosentino and Jane Parker, and one of the few Wright homes still a private
residence. Jane personally led the tour, and pointed out where they had changed
things in their restoration process, either out of necessity – like turning the
fire-hazard gas plate warmer into a drinks cabinet – or to update the house to
today’s way of living – for example, adding a doorway so they could pass freely
between rooms where previous owners with live-in staff wouldn’t have gone.
She also identified the 17 original pieces of furniture, which are owned by an
organization that loans them to the owners in exchange for them doing
occasional tours. It was obvious from Jane’s commentary how much she loves the
house (although it seemed to me like it would be an uncomfortable place to
live). Since no photos were allowed inside, check out the WXXI program on the
restoration process, or visit one of these websites for more information and
pictures:
http://exploringupstate.com/an-inside-tour-of-the-boynton-frank-lloyd-wright-house-of-rochester/
In Buffalo…
Recently, I was invited by my
friend Lisa to join her on a George Eastman Museum tour to the Darwin MartinHouse in Buffalo (we also visited the unremarkable Burchfield Penney Art Center
and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which was only half-open – both had great
gift shops, though!). The house is a wonderful example of Wright’s “profoundly
American” prairie style – long, low, and lean. It was built for his benefactor,
Darwin Martin, who generously provided Wright with an unlimited budget to
build six buildings (for himself, his extended family, and staff) on a 1.5 acre
lot in a lovely residential area of Buffalo. Each house used different
materials, reflecting the occupants’ status.
Although Wright apparently
believed that “your home would make your life happy,” that was more of an
unfulfilled wish, and his insistence on controlling every detail, from the
windows (there are more than 400 art glass windows, with 16 different patterns)
to the furniture (some of which is built in, to ensure the homeowner used it
the way Wright intended) made Mrs. Martin uncomfortable in her own house (she later
worked with Wright to design Graycliff,
on
Lake Erie, and which was much lighter and more to her liking). Anyone who has designed a house knows the conflicts
that can ensue with the architect, who views it as ‘his house’ as well as
yours, but Wright’s ego must have been impossible to deal with!
Again, no photos were allowed
inside. And although Wright’s attention to detail made the house interesting to
look at, it didn’t feel inviting to live in, although it is fun to imagine what
it must have been like. Much of the house is under restoration – for example,
3.5 miles of the 8.5 miles of trim, and the glass-mosaic fireplace. So I
definitely want to go back once the fireplace is complete, and make the trip up
to the lake to visit Graycliff, as well. Wright truly was a genius, and was ahead of his time in so many of his architectural concepts.
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| I covet this sculpture outside the Albright-Knox Art Gallery! |
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