This is a trip NOT to miss! The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy's "Out And About Wright" Tour program has become one of the hottest (and most affordable) architectural experiences of late and we've heard and experienced nothing but good things. Their next offering on June 20, 2009 is a biggie: New York to see rare private Wright residences and the Guggenheim Museum! Check out a full set of details after the jump...
Schedule of Events
Saturday, June 20
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Lecture at the Guggenheim
Enjoy a free lecture at the Guggenheim Museum given by Gail Satler, author of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Living Space. Those attending the Out and About Wright: New York tour will have reserved seating.
Guggenheim Museum address:
1071 5th Ave, New York, NY
At the corner of 5th and 89th
12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Break / Exhibit Tickets
Attendees are encouraged to have lunch (not included in registration fee) and/or use their free admission ticket (included in registration fee) to the Guggenheim to tour the new exhibit, Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward. If you choose to use your free admission ticket at another time, they are good for use from June 19 to June 21.
Buses Load at the Guggenheim
1:45 p.m.
Buses will load outside the Guggenheim Museum and leave promptly at 2:00 p.m.
Tour Schedule:
The Conservancy reserves the right to change the tour schedule or remove any sites from this list without notice.
Ben Rebhuhn Residence (1937), Great Neck Estates, NY
The house Wright design for Ben Rebhuhn (pronounced Ray-bun) for an idyllic suburban lot, combines fascinating features not seen since the prairie period. The cruciform plan with its two story high living room bears similarities to the Vosburgh House (1916), Grand Beach, Michigan as well as the houses Wright designed for his secretary Isabel Roberts (1908), River Forest, IL and Davidson House (1908), Buffalo, NY. The extension of the two story space toward the library creates an interesting asymmetry not found in the earlier examples. Board and Batten Construction inside and out is of red tidewater cypress. Dramatic cantilevered roofs and the row of brick columns connecting the carport to the entry create a fascinating sense of promenade for the approach and dramatic extensions of inside to outside space. The house was damaged by a fi re in the 1970s. Restoration work was overseen by Morton Delson, who later worked on the restoration of the Arizona Biltmore when it suffered from fire.
Usonia Homes (1947), Pleasantville, NY
Buses will take a scenic tour through the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed community of “Usonia” in Pleasantville, New York. Wright carefully sited each house, approved all the plans and personally designed three of the residences within this community. The original community plan called for 35 circular building sites on this 97-acre property. The space between was to be community owned with a meandering road connecting these idyllic sites. Later planning issues caused the community to lay out the properties as polygons with property edges touching. Other homes were designed by architects such as Paul Schweikher, Theodore Dixon Bower, Ulrich Franzen, Keneji Domoto, Aaron Resnick and David Henken and display the Wright influence or are forward looking buildings of what we now refer to as mid-century modernism.
Sol Friedman Residence (1948)
Within this wonderful community we will pass by the Sol Friedman Residence (1948), the first Wright-designed home in this community. It has a bold design, clearly seen from the street, of interlocking circles and long walls of stone, an outside dining area and circular carport. The circular carport roof is cantilevered from a central pillar making it reminiscent of the dendriform columns found at Johnson Wax. The circular plan and consequent difficult details made the house expensive to build. However, it achieved considerable fame and was widely published. Roland Reisley notes, “The Friedman House became the focus for many Usonia meetings and parties in the early years. The great circular living room was comfortable for just one or two people, but could accommodate one hundred as well. The Friedmans helped to organize and arrange concerts there by the Pleasantville junior Philharmonic, a group of Usonia’s children joined by a few others from other neighboring towns.” We will view the Friedman Residence from the road.
Edward Serlin Residence (1949)
As we meander through Usonia we will stop at a Wright-designed private residence, the Edward Serlin Residence (1949). Attendees will tour this rarely seen home and enjoy its Usonian character. Wright often experimented with variations to his Usonian themes and this home is no exception. Built of local stone and cypress this house is clearly “Usonian” in character, however, the sloping roof of the living room is a fascinating technique, proposed by Wright for a number of projects, but seldom executed. Wright preplanned extensions to both ends of the house to allow for future enlargement.
Roland and Ronny Reisley Residence (1951)
Nestled in this picturesque community is the privately owned, Wright-designed, Roland and Ronny Reisley Residence (1951). Roland Reisley, an original Wright client and author of Usonia New York, Building a Community with Frank Lloyd Wright, will open his wonderful house for attendees to tour and will tell stories about his home and this unique community. Roland and his wife Ronny received their plans from Wright in 1951 and later (1956) commissioned an extensive addition by Wright. Wright was often in New York during this period, working on the Guggenheim Museum. As a result Wright came to the site a number of times and the Reisleys have often shared fascinating stories about working with their architect. The Reisley House utilizes local stone and Cypress. Built on a triangular module, the home provides fascinating transitions between spaces, a fascinating cantilevered carport roof as-well-as a very dramatic cantilevered roof that protects a portion of the living room terrace. This house includes a basement with laundry, sewing, and wine storage in addition to the usual accommodation for utilities. The 1956 addition allowed three children’s bedrooms and a separate dining space. A terrazzo floor follows the same triangular module of the original house.
Maximilian Hoffman Residence (1955)
A signature of the Out And About Wright events are the evening receptions at privately owned Wright homes. The perfect end to this amazing day will be a private tour and dinner reception at the Max Hoffman Residence (1955) in Rye, New York. The home was originally built for the owner of the Manhattan Mercedes dealership. The spacious, and very gracious, home is beautifully sited on 2+ acres of waterfront in the prestigious neighborhood of Rye. The house we see today is the third design Wright proposed for the site and though typical of his so called “in line” plan, the scale of the building, the elegance of the materials and the grandeur of the spaces makes it a unique and exciting building to visit. The elegant details include a carefully worked copper fascia, Philippine mahogany woodwork, extensive slate floors and terraces as well as the deeply raked granite stonework of the pillars and facade. The original house was over 3,000 square feet, plus a four car garage. In 1972 the Taliesin Associated Architects added an extensive third wing including a new kitchen, formal dining, family room and additional servant’s quarters. This building is elegantly preserved by current owners Tom and Alice Tisch. It is a rare privilege to visit this house. You will have ample time to appreciate the building and its magnificent setting. Dinner will be served. Enjoy!
Buses will return to the Guggenheim by 10:00 p.m.
REGISTER NOW!
$250 per person. For lodging we recommend the Hotel Wales at 93rd and Madison Avenue, 212.876.6000, mention The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy to receive the group rate (ends June 1, space is limited). To register for the Out and About Wright: New York event email cgloriosa@savewright.org or call the office, 312.663.5500 with the following information:
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone, Fax
Make checks payable to: The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy or call to pay by credit card.
Tickets will go fast for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, so do not miss out! Go to the FLWBC website for more information!
Image copyright FLWBC
Thanks PrairieMod - This looks like a GREAT TOUR!
Take pictures and share with us?
Martie Lieberman
www.modernsarasota.com
Posted by: Martie Lieberman | Jun 03, 2009 at 01:47 PM