Thursday, September 22, 2016

Falling Water in Pennsylvania

So now we get to why we went to Pennsylvania in the first place. A tour of Falling Water.

If you don't know, Falling Water is a super famous Frank Lloyd Wright house. I've seen pictures and read about it. Ed and I both love architecture tours, so we went last week after Ed's marathon work at the US Open.

It is spectacular. I'll describe as you see it. PS - You are only allowed outside pictures, but the insdie was great.

This is the view as you walk up to the tour. It is a series of levels, many cantilevered over the stream and waterfall that the family loved. They came to camp here in the 1910s-30s before commissioning the home. It is designed to blend into nature. (see the bridge to the lower right)

Oddly, Wright was not doing well (as an architect) before this house. It was the depression and hard to make a name for yourself. He was in his 60s when this was built, and the commissions poured in. He worked until he was 93.


This is the view from the bridge of the house floating above the water. There was a deck for indoor / outdoor space off the front room and private decks off all 4 bedrooms.

Note the steps to the water. They enter in the glass enclosed front room (where you see flowers in the center of the picture). There is a glass greenhouse enclosure inside there that can be fully opened to let a cool breeze travel up from the stream.

it was built in 1937 before air-conditioning was a thing.


This is the famous view. The rock and red windows form a trunk for the house and offset the cantilever. You can hear the waterfall even with low water (like it is in the picture).  It was great.


This is the view with the world's best husband in the shot. No further explanation needed.