1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio, Hey Rain 2 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren vogebam here. Acclaimed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: once said the architect must be a prophet. If you 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: can't see at least ten years ahead, don't call him 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:21,959 Speaker 1: an architect. Wright proved his own words when he designed 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: Falling Water, a private residence that's now preserved as a 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: museum and has captivated countless spectators for more than eighty years. 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: Set in the Laurel Highlands region in the mountains of 9 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: southwestern Pennsylvania, Falling Water remains open to visitors today, many 10 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: decades after Wright's death in n A now classic example 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,639 Speaker 1: of what's called organic architecture, Falling Water is a sweeping, 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: tiered structure designed to be both a part of and 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: apart from the natural landscape surround again. It incorporates wood 14 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: and rough edge stone quarried from the property itself, along 15 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: with bold, blunt lines of concrete and steel, all set 16 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: atop an active waterfall, a balance of human and natural elements. 17 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: Here's its story. In Pittsburgh, department store owner Edgar J. Kaufman, Sr. 18 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: Hired Wright to design a private residence for his family. 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: The house would serve as their weekend home out in 20 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: the country, roughly seventy five miles or a hundred and 21 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: twenty kilometers outside of Pittsburgh. A. Kaufman and his wife 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: Lilianne were impressed by Wright's work after visiting their son 23 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: at an architectural school that Right designed and ran in Wisconsin. 24 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: For the article this episode is based on How Stuff Works, 25 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: spoke via email with Clinton E. Piper, who works as 26 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: a senior administrator of special Projects at Falling Water. He 27 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,199 Speaker 1: explained the Kaufman's were innovative retailers with an eye toward 28 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 1: good design. Their son, Edgar Kaufman Jr. Read Frank Lloyd 29 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,559 Speaker 1: Wright's autobiography and participated in Wright's apprentice program in spring Green, Wisconsin. 30 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: Since Wright had experienced a lack of work during the 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: Great Depression, which put a halt to many architectural endeavors, 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: landing such a big commission helped put him back on 33 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: the map as a top architect. Right completed construction on 34 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: the main house, a five thousand, three hundred square foot 35 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: that's five hundred square meter structure by eight and finished 36 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: building the guest house, which measures some one thousand, seven 37 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: hundred square feet or one hundred and sixties square meters 38 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: the following year. The home remained a private residence of 39 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: the family until nineteen sixty three, when Edgar Jr. Gave 40 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: the ded to Falling Water and the surrounding one thousand, 41 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: five hundred acres but six hundred hectors to the Western 42 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania Conservancy, dedicating the property as the Kaufman Conservation on 43 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: Bear Run memorial to Edgar J. And Lillian S. Kaufman. 44 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: Falling Water first opened its stores for public tours in 45 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty four. Since then, many entities have recognized the 46 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: importance of Falling Waters artistry. In late nineteen seventies, the 47 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: U S Department of the Interior does neated the museum 48 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: a National Historic Landmark, and in twenty nineteen UNESCO added 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: Falling Water and seven other Frank Lloyd Right design sites 50 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: to its list of World Heritage Sites, marking an impressive 51 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: international recognition of Falling Water's legacy in the world of architecture. 52 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: It's also the only major Frank Lloyd Right work with 53 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: its setting, original furnishings, and artwork still intact. More than 54 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 1: four point five million people have visited Falling Water since 55 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: it opened to the public, among them architectural buffs and 56 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: curious novices alike. Piper said, Falling Water is a humane 57 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: experience where rights insight, the Coffin family's way of life, 58 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: and the natural setting are spread out for all to 59 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: experience and question, regardless of their background or previous knowledge. 60 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: Right popularized the Prairie style of design, which focused on 61 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: residential houses in the Midwest between nineteen hundred and nineteen sixteen. 62 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 1: The Prairie style emphasized neat horizontal lines, which came Rights 63 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: calling card. You can see these simple lines and sharp 64 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: right angles in the exterior of Falling Water, and as 65 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: mentioned before, Falling Water particularly stands out as exemplary of 66 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: organic architecture, which blends man made structures with the natural 67 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: world around them. Organic architecture became staple in rights designs. 68 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: Piper explained much of Right's nearly seventy year architectural career 69 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 1: created buildings and houses that connected one way or another 70 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: to their natural setting. This was especially true of Falling Water, 71 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,320 Speaker 1: which was surrounded by thousands of acres of wild beauty 72 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: in the bar Run Nature Reserve. Right leaned into that 73 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: natural setting by building walls of Pottsville sandstone quarried again 74 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: on the property itself to reflect the stone outcroppings found 75 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: in bear Run. He also challenged the natural surrounding with 76 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: concrete cantilevers, which he stacked to form bold terraces in 77 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: multiple directions and offer beautiful vista is of the wilderness. 78 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Piper said the powerful symbolism of architecture seemingly erupting from 79 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: nature was at the core of Right's philosophy of organic architecture. 80 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: Right selective materials such as marine grade walnut near plywood 81 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: for the built in furnishings to address the effects of 82 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 1: living with nature. Falling Water's most iconic attribute is, of course, 83 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: it's waterfall, and hence the name falling Water, which gently 84 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: tumbles beneath the home. Piper said, the sound of the 85 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: falls is the backdrop that ties the entire experience together. 86 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: But designing such an architectural masterpiece made Falling Water a 87 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: pricey endeavor for Right and the Kaufman's. According to Piper, 88 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: the Kaufman's set an initial budget between twenty thousand and 89 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: thirty thousand dollars for the construction of the house, but 90 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: Right well well exceeded that initial budget. Falling Water wound 91 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: up costing a hundred and fifty five thousand dollars, including 92 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: an eight thousand dollar commission fee for right and four 93 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: thousand four built in front chair. That's a bit over 94 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,680 Speaker 1: three million in today's dollars, but of course, as a 95 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: great work of art, in many ways, it's priceless. According 96 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 1: to Piper, famous guests ranging from Albert Einstein to FRIEDA. 97 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 1: Collo have stayed at Falling Water Since being turned into 98 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: a museum. Falling Water no longer accepts overnight guests, but 99 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,280 Speaker 1: there are still plenty of ways visitors can enjoy the museum. 100 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: During COVID nineteen, guests may experience the outdoor setting of 101 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: Falling Water with an advanced reservation and masks and social 102 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: distancing are required. If you can't swing and in person visit, 103 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: that's no problem. Visit falling Water dot org to try 104 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 1: one of their at home experiences, such as one of 105 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: the virtual tours conducted via live stream weekly, each one 106 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: offering information about a different aspect of the home. Today's 107 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article Falling Water. It's considered 108 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,280 Speaker 1: Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece. Here's Why. On how Stuff Works 109 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: dot Com by Terry your Logata. Brain Stuff is production 110 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio in partnership with how stuffworks dot 111 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: Com and was produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts 112 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 113 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.