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Frank Lloyd Wright and the House of Wax

 J.M. Syken

Course Outline

In this course, we will examine the creation of one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th Century – the Johnson Wax Administration Building on the S.C. Johnson & Son corporate campus in Racine, Wisconsin. Our review will include a background study of the life and work of the creator of the building/s – master architect Frank Lloyd Wright, up to and including the commission (1936) of the Adminidtration Building and its completion (1939). As well, the complex, antagonistic yet productive relationship between client and architect during the design and construction phase/s will be highlghted and discussed, including the design/construction of Wingspread  -  the last of FLW’s “Prairie-Style” houses, for client H.F. Johnson.

In particular, we will review in depth and detail the many unique design features of both the Administration Building and Research Tower (1950) including the former’s “Dendriform” columns and Pyrex glass-tube skylights and both building’s glass-tube “sunbands” (clerestories) which allowed for natural lighting effects within the windowless interior spaces. As well, we will examine the innovative cantilever floor design of the Research Tower (a/k/a “Heliolab”). The building/s successes and failures and additional structures built on the SCJ&S campus in later years (i.e. Golden Rondelle, Fortalezza Hall) to compliment/supplement the original FLW buildings will also be a subject of great interest and discussion.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Benefit to Attendees

The attendee/s will gain an intimate knowledge and insight into the background of one of the most important works of master architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s long and prolific career and its significance to commercial office building design/construction

Course Introduction

The course includes an in-depth PowerPoint presentation and the viewing a documentary film

Course Content

In this course, you are required to view/study the following slideshow and the materials contained in the web pages:

Frank Lloyd Wright and the House of Wax (printable handout in PDF, 10 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)
Frank Lloyd Wright and the House of Wax (non-printable slideshow for screen-viewing only, 49 MB, see Note A below for downloading instruction)

Archival/Documentary Film:

TITLE:  Frank Lloyd Wright – Johnson Wax Administration Building
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqQCLm7k_mo
DURATION: 27:08

Note A: Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right-clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader from your computer.

Course Summary

In the design and subsequent construction of the Johnson Wax Administration Building, architect Frank Lloyd Wright would fulfill a quest he held from the time he was a boy in rural Wisconsin. During the middle ages, the gothic cathedral was the supreme example of cultural expression - a man-made example of nature’s forces in both harmony and balance. According to 19th Century author Victor Hugo, the advent of the printing press had allowed literature (in the form of the printed book) to usurp architecture from cultural dominance. Perhaps, he suggested, an architect would come along in the 20th Century and restore the cathedral - and by extension architecture - to its former glory. FLW, upon reading these words in Notre Dame de Paris (a/k/a The Hunchback of Notre Dame) determined that he would be that architect. It’s no wonder then that visitors to the building often get the feeling they’re in a cathedral, what with the outer world completely shut out and heaven’s light entering from the side/s and/or high above – just like a medieval cathedral, bringing some to tears. Not by coincidence FLW referred to the building as: “A Cathedral of Work,” for that’s exactly what he had in mind. Like many FLW buildings, beauty trumped functionality. Perpetually leaking roofs, overblown budgets, unstable three-legged chairs etc. were the downside. In the end, those problems could/would be overcome and FLW’s theory of beauty, in and of itself, being of supreme importance (in that it enhances human life) would win the day.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Lloyd_Wright

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Wax_Headquarters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_F._Johnson_Residence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76F3DJvESKA&t=1346s (Film: The Men Who Built America - Part 1 - 1:27:54

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8EABJrMplY (Film: A Conversation with FLW - 30:58)

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.