PrairieMod

Randy Jackson's American Idol

Who knew Randy Jackson of American Idol fame was a Frank Lloyd Wright fan? Read about it here.

Out Of The Ground, Into The Light

Just in case you missed the news, the exceptional exhibit, Between Heaven and Earth: The Architecture of John Lautner, will be at the Palm Springs Art Museum from Feb. 20 to May 25, 2010. Read more about it here.

Warming Up To Modern

Long Island has been getting a lot of Mod attention the last few weeks. Here's a link to a story in the New York Times about the Island's "Mod"-ification.

Image via the NYT

Pinky Trees

These pint-sized "Pinky Trees" from California-based WeePlant Corporation are cool and simply adorable. See more here.

Images copyright WeePlant Corporation

Building Hope

The devastating situation in Haiti is a grim reminder of how the buildings we live in and around impact our lives in dramatic ways. Now that many of the poorly constructed homes have been destroyed in the areas affected by the quake, there exists an opportunity to get it right. I would hope that architects and perhaps even institutions like the Taliesin School of Architecture could help develop low-cost, well-built, well-designed and transportable shelters for the struggling people of this battered nation. If such a home could be developed, it could become a solution for other countries and people who need help. I would love to hear readers thoughts on the subject, feel free to leave comments below.

Top image copyright Victor Sidy/Bottom image copyright Jerry Portelli

Wright's Second Life

The virtual group populating Second Life with the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright have announced their cooperation with the real-world Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to become the official licensees of such virtual Wright-related representations. Read more about it here.

Image via Virtual World News

A House Beyond Be-Leaf

Check out this really cool "Leaf" house by the Australian firm, Undercurrent Architects. Read more, see more and watch a video here.

Image via archidose.com

Kamin On Foster's Fortaleza

Blair Kamin, architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune, weighs-in on the new Lord Norman Foster-designed Fortaleza Hall at the SC Johnson Wax Co. headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. Read about it here.

Image copyright Blair Kamin

Watch Wright

A gracious member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy message board posted some great links to video clips discussing Wright from the Meyer May Centennial celebration at Steelcase. Follow the link to watch them.

No Breaks In Riverside

Riverside, IL has approximately 50 homes that have been designated local Historic landmarks, with three of those homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on the National Register of Historic Places. However, Riverside Trustees continue to vote down tax incentives for the owners of these significant homes. Read more about this issue here.

Image via Wikipedia

Modern Michigan

Mostly known for its great outdoors, it turns out that Michigan is also rich with modern architecture. The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is behind an effort to highlight Michigan's modern architecture and design heritage. It's raising $250,000 to help record oral histories of architects from the time; create driving tours; and research and catalogue important projects from around 1940 to 1970. The office is promoting the state's architecture through a website, with stories, photos and links to sites around the state. Read more about it here.

Apple's Mystery Machine

Later today the rumors and speculation will finally be answered about Apple's newest gadget of wonder: The "Tablet". Get some early info on this mystery machine here.

Breaking News On Break::The::Box 2010

This just in! Unity Temple Restoration Foundation's 2010 Break::the::Box season kicks off on Thursday, February 18th, at 7:30 pm, with Wright scholar Dr. Anthony Alofsin. Find out more details after the jump...

Learn Your Leaves

Here's a really fun way to teach kids about identifying different leaves in advance of Spring. This wooden leaf puzzle by Etsy user justhatched contains six leaf shapes - Oak, Beech, Ivy, Dogwood, Maple and Cottonwood. Beneath each piece is the name of the leaf. See more here.

Image copyright justhatched

Talkin' About Saarinen And Knoll

Nationalpost.com sums up the first events kicking off this year's Toronto International Design Festival, which was a talk at the Design Exchange, given by Eero Saarinen author and Knoll expert Brian Lutz on the designer and the patron. Read more here.

Image via nationalpost.com

I'd Be Happy To Bail-Out This Bank

Jeff Logan, a businessman in Mitchell, SD has secured public financing for his effort to restore the historic Logan Branson Bank Building, a Prairie School gem designed by Purcell and Elmslie in the early 1900s. Read more about it here.

The Nifty Fifty's Gang

The New York Times' list of up-and-coming American talent (The "Nifty Fifty") includes Chicago architectural phenom and Aqua skyscraper designer, Jeanne Gang. Read more about it here.

Carson's Restoration In The Final Stretch

Blair Kamin at the Chicago Tribune reports that the restoration finish line is in sight for the Louis Sullivan-designed Carson Pirie Scott & Co. building on State St. in the Chicago Loop. Read more about it here.

Image via Wikipedia

Florida's "Child Of The Sun"

The Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland, FL is an architectural treasure trove of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings—in fact, the largest single concentration at one site. Read more about this Wright destination here.

Earth Blossom House

PrairieMod reader, Karlitos Estein sent us an email showcasing a new organic building design called "Earth Blossom House" that he co-created for the Clifton Schooley & Associates rammed earth company. Rammed earth construction intrigues me and Karlitos' design is a stunning example of what could be done with that building style. See and read more here.

image via Clifton Schooley & Associates/Karlitos Estein

Long Island Long On Modernism

The New York Times offers this article exploring Long Island's contributions to Modern Architecture, as displayed at the current Heckscher Museum of Art show. Read and see more here.

Lautner For Rent

The John Lautner-designed Mid-century Modern masterpieces, the Carling House in Los Angeles is currently for rent. If you can swing the (gulp) $10,000 a month, you can move-in! Read more here.

Image via Carling House website

Johnson Wax's New Addition

Wrightinracine.com's Mark Hertzberg let us know that Fortaleza Hall, designed by Foster + Partners, at the S.C. Johnson Wax Company's campus is now open. According to Mark, "It is a magnificent building with spectacular features. I am delighted that the family included a Frank Lloyd Wright Library and Reading Room, with an emphasis on his Racine work. It will be open to the public and to researchers by appointment." Read and see more here.

Image copyright Mark Hertzberg

Woolley House For Sale

The 1893 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed "bootleg" Francis J. Woolley House in Oak Park, IL just came on the market. Check out the details here.

Image via Prudential Rubloff Properties

Details Of A Destructive Act

I received some images of the effects that an act of senseless vandalism had on Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple, an architectural treasure already in need of emergency restoration. Read and see more after the jump...

A Lasting Impression

Here's a link to an article about architect and former Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice Bob Beharka's legacy in the town of Los Baños, CA. Hopefully a monograph of Mr. Beharka's work can be made available someday for appreciation outside of Los Baños to take root. Read the article here.

Wright Archive On The Auction Block

Bonhams & Butterfields will be offering a massive archive of photographs, correspondence and select building plans related to Frank Lloyd Wright in their Fine Books & Manuscripts auction on February 14, 2010. Assembled by Professor Henry Russell Hitchcock, the archive offers a rich documentation of Wright's work, including notes for images of many buildings that no longer survive. Hopefully a reputable institution will acquire it so that the public may benefit from access to it. Read more about it here.

The Architecture Of El Cerrito

Journalist and author, Dave Weinstein, has been invited by the El Cerrito Historical Society to give a talk and a "virtual tour" on El Cerrito, CA's architectural heritage. The virtual tour will visit "intact neighborhoods from several different eras that give El Cerrito much of its charm and character." They include a street with what he calls "picturesque storybook homes," a Richard Neutra-designed house and a church designed by Lloyd Wright. Read more details here.

Neutra image via Wikipedia

Lights, Camera, Tour!

Wisconsin Public Television will feature a new segment on the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed American System-Built Home in Milwaukee on the next edition of their In Wisconsin program. Read more after the jump...

Portland Building Goes Green In A Big Way

The wall of the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building would definitely stand out, as architects and federal officials plan one of the world's most extensive vertical gardens in downtown Portland on a series of 250-foot-tall trellises designed to shade the west side of the 18-story office building.Read more about it here.

Meet The Frank Lloyd Wright Of The Sea

Minus the pork pie hat and cape, of course. Researchers at Florida State University have studied the habits of the Red Grouper and found that it is both an undersea architect and ecosystem engineer—thus bestowing the moniker "Frank Lloyd Wright of the Sea" on it. Read more about this fish tale here.

Image via Wikipedia

Unity Temple Vandalized

As if it didn't already have enough troubles: last Sunday, someone went to a lot of trouble to vandalize the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL. Apparently, scaffolding and walls were scaled so that the vandal(s) could throw objects through the roof of the building into the beloved sanctuary. Read more about this travesty here.

Magnet Master

Following-up on my recent post about relatively unknown Chicago Modernist architect, Arthur A. Carrara: here's a link to a short article on a toy he designed called Magnet Master. As described in the story, Magnet Master’s colorful planes were perforated for building with the rods and magnets, allowing an infinite variety of forms and giving the child a lesson in both construction and free expression. Read more here.

Image via cca.qc.ca

Beautiful Boathouse Pavilion

Chicago Architecture maven, Lee Bey, provides some great info and even better photos of the 103-year-old Prairie School-era Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion. Read and see more here.

Image copyright Lee Bey

Shedding Some Light On The Arts & Crafts Movement

Old House Journal online provides a history of Arts & Crafts Movement lighting in all of its various forms. Read it here.

Image via oldhousejournal.com

Most Popular: Week of 1/11/10

In case you missed them, these were our reader's favorite posts from the week of 1/11/10: 

1. Fallingwater Now Frozenwater 
2. What Dubai Owes Frank  
3. The Grandest Prairie School Building Ever Built 
4. Enjoy The Winter Wonders At The Schwartz House
5. Help Save A Masterpiece By Seeing It

Targeting Louis Sullivan

The historic Louis Sullivan-designed Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store on State Street in Chicago could once again be a mega-store. Target is potentially interested in making the redeveloped historic landmark a Chicago Loop retail location. Read more here.

Too Big For Oak Park?

Blair Kamin reports on the recent approval by the Oak Park plan commission of a controversial 20-story glass tower to be built at the corner of Lake Street and Forest Avenue (right near some very, very important Frank Lloyd Wright homes.) Read more about this story here and here.

Image via Wednesday Journal

Eat Like A Kaufmann

Lucindalville.com offers this extensive write-up on Fallingwater and the recent cookbook published by the Kaufmann's former cook. There's even a recipe for pecan shortbread that sound scrumptious. Read more here.

Image via Lucindaville.com

Ray Kappe's LivingHomes

Architect Ray Kappe has designed a line of sustainably-minded, factory built residential concepts for LivingHomes. Modern in appearance, thoughtful in environmental impact, comfortable in use of materials, could these homes be the Usonians for the 21st century? Find out more here.

Image via LivingHomes

Let The Work Begin!

Almost $15 million in contracts were signed Friday, so that restoration construction on the Historic Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, IA can begin. Read more about this exciting news here.

Image via wrightonthepark.org

The Perfect Valentine Trio

Wine and chocolate have always been a well-matched pair. Add the romance of candlelit Unity Temple -- Frank Lloyd Wright's modern masterpiece -- for the perfect romantic trio for Valentine's Day. Get more info here.

Image via UTRF

Modern Architecture On Long Island

The Heckscher Museum of Art will be opening a new exhibit, "Arcadia/Suburbia: Architecture on Long Island 1930 to 2010," on Jan. 16. The exhibit, which will run through April 11, focuses on modern architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Philip Johnson, Paul Rudolph and John Hejduk among many others, who worked at a time of extensive growth on Long Island. Read more here.

Wright At The Library

The Northern Illinois University library in DeKalb, IL will be housing a display of Wright’s work for the entire month of January 2010. The exhibit, made up entirely of books and drawings from the library collection, showcases some of his prolific work. Read more here.

Help Save A Masterpiece By Seeing It

Currently wrapped in scaffolding as part of a massive restoration effort, Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple still shines as an important destination for anyone interested in Modern Architecture. Take advantage of the new tour hours recently announced by Unity Temple Restoration Foundation to visit this icon and be apart of saving it for future generations. See more here.

Image copyright UTRF

The Lego Kitchen

PrairieMod reader Adam F. sent me a link to the Lego Kitchen, created by Parisian designers Simon Pillard and Philippe Rosetti of Munchausen. Check out more here.

Image via cyanatrendland.com

Limited Valentype Blocks By House Industries

House Industries is offering a very hip set of Maple Valentype Blocks for $50 until Feb. 14th, 2010. 

Forget the amazing fonts, I love the "extras" that these guys always pull out!

Image copyright House Ind.

Enjoy The Winter Wonders At The Schwartz House

The owners of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Bernard Schwartz House in Two Rivers, Wisconsin let me know that they are currently running a Winter Special, where you can rent this beautiful Usonian house for only $195 per night, mid-week through March. Having visited this house and stayed the night, it's a great value for such an amazingly unique experience. Find out more details and book your stay here.

Image via the Schwartz House website

In Memoriam: Bob Beharka

We've also gotten word that Organic Architect, master carpenter and former Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, Bob Beharka passed away Wednesday January 13, 2010. Before starting a private practice in Los Banos, California, Mr. Beharka joined the Taliesin Fellowship in 1955, and supervised the construction of the Marden House, Robert Llewellyn Wright House, and the Fawcett House. Read more about this amazing man here.

Image copyright Nikolas Koenig

In Memoriam: Bernadine Hagan

Bernadine Hagan, original owner of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hagan House (aka Kentuck Knob) passed away Tuesday, Jan 12, 2010 just shy of her 101st birthday. Read about this amazing woman here.

Image via Kentuck Knob website