At first, I thought Fallingwater was much ado about nothing, just another hallowed building by another white and male architect, until I arrived and saw the home framed in yellow and orange autumn leaves, as Frank Lloyd Wright had intended it to be, as organic as the trees and the waterfall. The residence owes its remarkably preserved design to two things: The original property owners, the Kaufmann family, donated all their intimate possessions, including the furniture, fabrics and art. Second, the home is the physical manifestation of bold ideas about space and living that still feel relevant now. For instance, the tall ceilings of Victorian homes in the 1930s made people feel insignificant, so Wright made this home cozier with lower ceilings. (Mr. Kaufmann was 5 feet, 8 inches.) The home is cantilevered, and its terraces appear to be reaching into the forest like branches. Even built-in bookcases and a ribbon-like covering for the patio were cantilevered, giving the feeling of openness and of balance. Windows were unobstructed and sunlight was given maximum exposure. Let’s not get carried away with romanticism: This was the luxurious vacation home of an uber-rich family built at a time when everyone else in America was struggling to eat and work in the Great Depression. It’s hard to unequivocally celebrate such a symbol of extreme inequality. What’s easier to admire is the idea that the ideal living space is one that sits in harmony with nature. It’s a big lesson for us today as we now face troubles curbing or reversing all the damage we’ve done to our environment.
1930s Fallingwater Still Looks Super Modern
