Frank Lloyd Wright’s Houses on sale – Can you afford any?

It is not just money that you need to have to afford a Frank Lloyd Wright house. The works of Frank Lloyd Wright -the greatest American architect of all time- have created a foundation for many designers and architects. He genuinely built for users and inspired all kinds of artists; even filmmakers and art directors, as some of his buildings featured in movies and TV shows!
The famous architect built nearly 300 houses, several of which are on the property market seeking buyers. 9 houses are currently on sale, and they might linger on the market for months, but why would it be so hard to sell such artworks that have many (high-net-worth) admirers?

The earliest house on sale -designed in 1900 in Chicago, and identified six years later as a city landmark- is priced at only $175,000. The Foster house comes with large living rooms, a fireplace, and a generous landscape. But the buyer has to carefully calculate the time and effort they will need to recover the original details designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Coonely Playhouse in the historic district of Riverside, Illinois, presents the Usonian House concept. A concept that Frank Lloyd Wright invented for the American middle class. The $650,000 house, originally built in 1912 to be a small private school; the Coonely House functioned very well when it was converted to a single-family house. The house features cantilevered roofs carved by rectangular openings, to introduce a playful shadow over the walls.

The Coonely Playhouse – Photo by Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy

A later design by Frank Lloyd Wright; the Kier house is priced at $724,000. It is one of another five buildings by the famous architect in the neighborhood. Although updated for modern living, the Kier house conserves some of its original characteristics; hardwood works, stained glass windows, and a stately brick fireplace.
The Henderson house is located in Elmhurst -another historic district in Illinois-. This one is an obvious prairie-style house, as it features open formal spaces: a longitudinal gallery, a library with built-in shelves and stained-glass windows, and a living room with a roman brick fireplace.

Another prairie-style house for sale is the Copeland house in the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district in Illinois. This state of the house is a redesign by Wright; he added a spacious veranda, assured the flowing transition from one space to the other, and designed special built-in-furniture.

The Neils house is one of only two Frank Lloyd Wright‘s houses in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The expensive materials of this house are what makes it very special; as these are not the typical choices by Wright. The marble walls and aluminium window framing are the original owner’s special request. Other than that, the L-shaped circulation is too Usonian. With a price of $2,750,000; the Neils’ overlooks a tree-filled landscape and a serene lake.

The Neils House – Photo by Dwell

What happened to the Thaxton house -which is the only Frank Lloyd Wright built project in Texas- is exactly why it is so hard to find the right buyer for such historical artworks. After the original owner sold it; the house endured some cruel changes. Custom built-in-furniture designed by Wright was torn out, and the redwood walls were painted over with no respect for the chosen material palette. The house was slowly losing its authenticity and almost torn down in the late 1990s.
But thankfully; two architecture enthusiasts bought the Thaxton and restored it according to Wright’s design, and the house returned to the market with an asking price of $2,850,000.

The last residential masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright; the David and Gladys Wright house and guest house in Phoenix is priced at $9,999,999. It is the only spiral residence designed by Wright. The house is raised on columns to provide views of the surrounding citrus orchard.

David and Gladys Wright house – Photo by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

The clean lines of the forms and interiors, the integration between the indoor and outdoor, and the seamless transitions between spaces all create a unique experience for a Wright house owner, but whoever is willing to purchase a historical building has to know this is more than an investment, for it requires a consistent act of preserving. Can’t afford a house by the master architect? You still have the opportunity to live in a Frank Lloyd Wright house, so don’t miss that!

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Zaha Hadid Architects designs futuristic towers for Oppo’s new headquarters

Zaha Hadid Architects wins the international competition to build Oppo’s new headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Oppo is a Chinese pioneer in the smartphone industry, ranking first in China and fifth worldwide. Due to the importance of Oppo as a pioneer in the smartphone industry, and to its new headquarters location in the Chinese metropolis Shenzhen, Zaha Hadid Architects’ design ensures connectivity both indoors and outdoors. 

Oppo’s New Headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects

The new Oppo’s headquarters comprises of four transparent united towers reaching a height of 200m (42 floors) and has an area of 185,000 sq.m, with an inviting platform connected with the street. The two inner towers are designed to be well-functioning open spaces, free of service cores that might interrupt the visual and physical connectivity.
Meanwhile, the two external towers function as services’ cores, maximizing the views over Shenzhen Bay along the workspace. The four towers recede organically at street level to create a safe, accessible urban space. 

Oppo’s New Headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects

The new office building maximizes its function as a public retreat both horizontally and vertically. A street-level diagonal passage carves its way through the building, besides a direct link to the nearby metro station. While on the vertical access; a 10th-floor public plaza represents a destination for both employees and visitors to experience a variety of recreational facilities including dining and shopping. 

Oppo’s New Headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects

The rooftop Sky Lab is designed to be a popular public space providing views over the dynamic life of Shenzhen. The towers’ interiors are featured by large atrium spaces that help growing communication and collaboration between the employees of different departments, and ensures varied routes of circulations. This experience besides the abundance of natural light with no doubt protects the wellbeing of the staff and therefore boosts their creativity and productivity. 

Oppo’s New Headquarters by Zaha Hadid Architects

The new Oppo’s headquarters is designed with 3D building information modeling (BIM) and energy management systems; targeting the LEED Gold from the US Green Building Council. Construction is due to begin this year, and is expected to be completed by the year 2025.

Project Info:
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: Shenzhen, China
Client: Oppo Telecommunications
Area: 185,000 m²
Project Name: Oppo’s Headquarters

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Økern Portal | Dark Arkitekter

Økern Portal

Økern is rapidly transforming from an urban wasteland into a regional hub of high-end transport links, local centers, and modern housing developments. Emerging neighborhoods demand a re-definition of public spaces and the built vernacular. Our winning proposal for Lørenfaret 3 calls for removing two adjacent buildings and adding a 50,000 square meter extension along the site’s perimeter.

Courtesy of Dark Arkitekter

The new building takes the shape of a forest with pathways connecting the urban zone to the east and suburbia to the west. The stems grow out of a lightweight base, branching out to hold the structure. The “leaves” cladding the façade are faceted to catch the light and create movement.
The building’s striking shape confers a strong identity within the vast surrounding urban landscape, while its atriums and architectonic detailing lend the building a more humane scale.

Courtesy of Dark Arkitekter

In order to maximize public availability, the building is cantilevered to allow the neighborhood park to flow through the site. The park and surrounding infrastructure are lined with public functions such as dining, markets, and leisure opportunities, aiming to generate life and activity at all hours.

Courtesy of Dark Arkitekter

Økern Portal has an ambitious environmental profile, including re-establishing biodiversity through extensive green roofs and local cultivation. Energy consumption, waste, pollution and material sourcing are carefully audited to ensure a sustainable build and extended life cycle. The project is aimed for a BREEAM-excellent rating.

Courtesy of Dark Arkitekter

Project Info
Architects: Dark Arkitekter
Location: Oslo, Norway
Client: Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS
Design: 2011-2015
Estimated completion: 2019
Type: office building, Retail
Illustration: Luxigon/Dark

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Square Compositions Penthouse | Pitsou Kedem Architects

Square Compositions Penthouse

Four consecutive corner apartments in a building in the Tsamert Complex in Tel Aviv have been combined into one spacious apartment. The interior design is simple and consists of two public levels that also contain two private levels.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

The apartment‘s entrance is through the lower level, which contains the kitchen, dining area and a large double sized living area. The entire level is also surrounded by a balcony. In a similar fashion the penthouse floor is designed as an upper living area with a large salon overlooking the balcony and a swimming pool and a kitchen and bathrooms. The effect is of two different and separate living levels that make possible a range of social activities and interactions at one and the same time.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

Between the two public spaces, we find the private areas – bedrooms and work areas that also have their own, private outside spaces.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

The physical connection between the spaces is made possible by the use of elevators and stairs. These are designed as a pathway that looks out over the seemingly ever-changing design – a topological framework in white that seems to rise and fall, following and enveloping the internal walls, floors and ceiling bringing together the facets of the prism into a deceptive and gravity free space composed of patches of white and shade. A patchwork of clearly defined lines, like a plant creeping up a clear trellis.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

The envelope’s panels are emphasized to bring out the white from its neutral, flat boundaries into the space’s monolithic effect – like a piece of sculpture that catches and presents the space. This nullifies the need for any additional design elements other than those that light and accompany the space. These include the lighting elements, which provide natural light, and the staircases, also designed as a white prism that is both flat and expanded. The topographical white is further enhanced by the large, orthogonal glass walls that cast a myriad rays of light differing in their shade and brightness.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

Next to them, we find a wall of linear translucent glass panels that act as a Japanese rice paper room divider that identifies the space without cutting it off from the totality. The use of glass also adds and emphasizes the white, creeping framework and adds an additional dynamic created by the people moving through the space. In a similar fashion movement and views in the space are also emphasized by the work areas and sitting areas that are placed by the stairways as terraces that both observe and are observed.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

The careful selection of materials and hues is also evident in the apartment’s other elements such as the floors and the furniture – monochromatic, reserved and deep – that surprise the viewer as they envelope the light and the brightness. The space is full of fragments of naturally appearing light and shade in yellow and grey hues that appear as a compact, stable and uniform unit. Despite it being almost completely exposed on all its sides, the invasion of the outside urban environment is seen in a restrained, organic and non-threatening fashion.

Square Compositions Penthouse – Courtesy of Pitsou Kedem Architects

Project Info
Architects: Pitsou Kedem Architects
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Year: 2015
Design team: Pitsou Kedem , Hila Sela
In charge architect: Hila Sela
Type: Residential
Photographs: Amit Geron

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