Robie House
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| Frederick C. Robie House | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1910 |
| Architect: | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style(s): | Prairie style |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Reference #: | 66000316 |
| Governing body: | University of Chicago |
The Frederick C. Robie House or simply the Robie House is a Registered Historic Place in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located in the city of Chicago in Cook County. The Robie House joined the Register the year of its creation, 1966. The home is renowned for its architectural significance. It was designed in 1908 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in his Oak Park, Illinois studio.
Built in 1910, it is located on the campus of the University of Chicago in Hyde Park (a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago), and was given to the university by developer William Zeckendorf in 1963.[2] It was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 27, 1963.[3]
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[edit] History
The Robie House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1908, in his Oak Park Studio.[4] 1908 was the year Frederick Robie acquired the property and thus the home could not have been designed before then. The contractor for the project, H.B. Barnard Co. of Chicago began construction on April 15, 1909. The home's construction, however was largely complete in May 1910. Even after 1910 a few minor additions and finishing touches were performed on the building. The last work on the home was completed by January 1911.
[edit] Architecture
The Robie House is one of the best known early examples of Prairie style architecture, a style Wright helped create and popularize.
The exterior walls are constructed of a red-orange brick. The capstones, lintels, sills and other exterior features are of a light gray stone, similar to sandstone. The fireplaces and chimneys of the Robie House utilize no firebrick in the fireplace interiors and are constructed of the same brick as the exterior.[2]
[edit] Architectural significance
The home literally started a revolution in architectural design. It is one of Wright's earlier works and one of the very earliest examples of Prairie style.[2] According to the Historical American Buildings Survey, the city of Chicago's Commission on Chicago Architectural Landmarks stated: "The bold interplay of horizontal planes about the chimney mass, and the structurally expressive piers and windows, established a new form of domestic design."[2]
[edit] The house today
As of 2007, it serves as a museum operated by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, after having undergone renovations beginning in 2001. Previously, it was a gathering place for Chicago alumni. The house is famous for its art glass windows, which dapple the house with color and light.
[edit] Notes
- ^ NRIS Database, National Register of Historic Places, retrieved January 25, 2007.
- ^ a b c d Illinois Places, Frederick C. Robie House, Data Pages, Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress. Retrieved January 26, 2007.
- ^ [Frederick C. Robie House], NHL Database, National Historic Landmarks Program. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
- ^ Robie House, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, Retrieved January 26, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Pictures of Robie House
- Picture of the Robie House Dining Room Chair
- Robie House Architectural review
- The Richard Nickel Committee and Photographic Archive Photographer of the Robie House
- FLLW Preservation Trust website
