I think nothing yet ever equaled the coordination, sympathetic expression of the great principle
of repose where forest and stream and rock and all the elements of structure are combined
so quietly that really you listen not to any noise whatsoever although the music of the
stream is there.
But you listen to Fallingwater the way you listen to the quiet of the country...
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Poetry aside, the path to what is widely considered to be the greatest work of American Architecture,
was paved with the unexpected.
To better understand how this building came to be, lets start all the way back at the
beginning, before the waterfall was harmoniously tuned to the built environment.
In the early 1900s, Edgar Kaufmann owned a successful department store in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania which made him very wealthy.
Instead of spending his free time on the golf course or parading about country clubs, he
would take his wife Liliane and their son Edgar Junior out to the country to escape
the hustle and bustle of the busy city.
In Fayette county, along a natural tributary named Bear Run, the family had a humble cabin
at the base of a cascading waterfall.
But as the years went by, the cabin began to fall into disrepair, at which point they
turned to prominent architect Frank Lloyd Wright to reimagine their weekend retreat.
In 1934, Wright traveled to the Kaufmann’s property to examine its natural landscape,
ordering a full topographical survey to be conducted and forwarded to his office.
Over the next nine months, he largely ignored the project while telling Edgar that the plans
were coming along.
On September 22nd of that year, Edgar grew impatient, he had not yet seen any plans and
had no idea what the house he was paying top dollar for would look like.
He phoned Wright’s office to inform them that he would be arriving in 2 hours to review
the plans.
When Wright was notified, he dropped everything and headed to his drafting table, he had not
even started on their plans yet.
In a fit of creative genius, he thrust the topographical survey on his desk and began
drawing.
There was a large boulder detailed near the waterfall which he chose as his datum, planning
the entire design around.
As the clock ticked, he designed a series of cantilevers over the waterfall with indoor
and outdoor spaces blending into the hillside.
Just as he put his pencil down, Edgar burst through the office doors demanding to his
house plans.
A calm Frank Lloyd Wright stood up to greet Edgar, welcoming him to a revolutionary concept
for a new house.
When Edgar saw the plans, he was initially disappointed.
He had ordered a house to be built at the base of the waterfall so that he could have
views of the cascading water, but what Frank had given him was quite the opposite.
A house that sat on top of the waterfall, becoming part of the cascades.
While he was initially skeptical, Edgar allowed construction to begin.
The entire house was to be anchored on a central mass with cantilevered terraces protruding
from it.
The theory was that the reinforced concrete planes would be held in place by the heavy
stone tower in the center.
Truly, this theory was genius.
We can demonstrate this concept by stacking paper between large blocks.
If the center of gravity is over the block’s ledge, the paper will fall, but if we place
another block on top of the paper, it stays in place.
Engineers found this to be an exciting concept, but were alarmed when they saw the technical
drawings.
In their opinion, Wright had not included enough reinforcement in the concrete, so without
consulting Wright, the engineers added more reinforcement.
Unfortunately, while laying the concrete, the construction company and the engineers
neglected to calculate the extra weight and adjust the slope of the concrete slabs, causing
them to settle at a nearly 7 degree slope, sagging downwards.
This issue would not have been so dire if it only effected the exterior of the home,
but these planar elements continued inside to create the floors and ceiling of each room.
Nevertheless construction continued with finishing touches being added.
In order to blend into nature, Wright chose colors which mirrored the natural landscape
including Ochre for the concrete and Cherokee Red for the steel elements.
Instead of using window encasements where glass met stone, the stone walls were grooved
so the glass could disappear seamlessly into the stone, erasing any sense of disruption
between indoor and outdoor space.
In the sitting area, we can see how these elements and colors come together with the
massive stone hearth seamlessly continuing outside while linear elements stretch the
room, tying it together through its expressed geometry.
This same tactic was used creatively in other parts of the house with glass panes butting
up to each other, making it appear as if the corner of the room did not exist.
Continuing deeper into the home, it becomes cave like, with an extant boulder protruding
through the slate floor at the foot of the heath.
Turning around, we can see the dining space where a table was centered on a stone column,
dividing the wall in function with windows on one side and shelves on the other.
The kitchen was finished out with top of the line St Charles Steel Cabinets, their glossy
surfaces contrasting against the rugged stone offering a duality of visual texture.
Linear elements capture and secure more space to the interior while framing views through
the glass panes to allow for more intimate family meals.
Back in the dining area, to the other side of the table, with natural light silhouetting
it, the stairs rise to the second floor.
Arriving at the second floor stair landing, steel rails point towards glass doors opening
to the terrace.
The Kauffmann’s bedroom had a fairly regular form for a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home,
offering 90 degree corners with built in wardrobes organized for the couple.
As we meander through the home, we might lose ourselves in the ever changing connections
to the outdoors.
Wright used every trick in the book, constricting you through tight pathways and releasing you
to open spaces.
Having you preview a room through an opening before snaking around to it.
Blurring every line between architecture and art.
With views from each window forcing a new perspective on the house and its setting.
Making our way out to the terraces, we will find a staircase ending in the stream.
In place of a swimming pool, the Kauffmanns could walk down the stairs and enjoy a dip
in the water, where their home became one with the cascades.
Overtime, a guest house was added further up the hill with a curving, stair stepped
pavilion following its path to the main house.
Up here, servants quarters and a four car garage were also tied into the design.
When the Edgar and Lilian passed away, they left Fallingwater to Edgar Junior who enjoyed
it with his partner, architect Paul Mayen.
Together they planned a visitor center to replace the garage and donated the house and
its 1500 wooded acres to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to open it as a house museum.
Throughout the years, it has required extensive repair work, including to the cantilevered
terraces.
Upon investigation, the extra reinforcement given to the concrete by the engineering firm
was still not enough as the cantilevers were showing signs of failure with the slope now
dipping 7 inches end to end.
After the modern day equivalent of nearly 20 million dollars in renovations, the cantilevers
were made to be permanently sound with more reinforcement being added in the form of post-tensioning.
It continues to be open to the public for tours and has become one of the most famous
works of American architecture for its distinctive styling, manipulation of space, and harmony
with the natural environment.
As Edgar Junior once said about Fallingwater, “…There are many places where conversation,
and Frank Lloyd Wright’s work can be studied; there is nowhere else where his architecture
can be felt so warmly, appreciated so intuitively.
That is the beginning of wisdom…”
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the comments section.
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