A Lesson for Frank Lloyd Wright from the Florentines

Many years ago I visited Frank Lloyd Wright's own home in Evanston, Ill designed and built in the very late 19th Century.It was fantastic with glorious dark metallic walls plastered the color of bronze. On the tour, the guide mentioned the use of differing ceiling heights - something Wright became known for - to lend the sense of contraction and release as you move through the space (is this a rebirth experience????)

Yesterday, as we prepared to leave our sacred apartment in Florence, Il Terrazzino, I returned from lunch and took a long look at the beautiful Renaissance palazzo for a final time (this trip!) I saw the expression of contraction and release in this home - started in 1495 and completed around 1520. It's an old idea. but a beautiful one.

Here are some of the exquisite details of the palazzo. Bravo to the Di Ginori Lischis for keeping this building so very pure. (You can hardly imagine how bad - as in 70's-80's renovations - many of the ancient buildings are!)

The Entry of Palazzo di Ginori - Lee walking to the lift.

A Hallway to our apartment. Just freshly restored with the most beautiful chalky white plaster! Contraction....

Release!

Little passageway to our apartment.

Great light fixture on crisp white stucco. I love the bulbs!

Inside our apartment - the incredible old terracotta floor and armadio from who knows when???? (The armadio, which we know as an armoire - was used originally to store the suits of armor. A fun fact to know and tell!)

Comments

  1. I'm a huge fan of FLW's work. He is such an inspiration and influence in my own design projects.

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