In 1934, the prestigious American architect Frank Lloyd Wright received a residential project similar to so many others that he had designed before. This one, however, had a serious singularity – the house would be projected over a waterfall that the client wanted to preserve.
No matter how experienced and how much of a genius Lloyd was, this was an uncommon challenge at the time. Legend has it that the architect lost control of his deadline to deliver the project, and designed the house only a few hours before the final meeting with his client.
The project, named Falling Water, was audacious – the architect wanted all the social areas of the house – living room, dining room, verandahs – to have a view of the waterfall. The final result was a residence that subverted the dynamics of American houses, with the social center turned to the back of the house.
Falling Water shows all the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture: his concern with social coexistence in his projects. The esthetics, the visual, also stood out, but the importance of socializing surpasses them. The house, for instance, has few barriers between the rooms, with the exception of the bedrooms and the bathrooms. This characteristic is the mark of Lloyd’s genius.
Nowadays, due to its importance to architecture, the house has become a museum. There, the visitor goes on a guided tour that shows the innovative style that marks Lloyd’s work. It’s an excellent choice for tourists who love architecture and urbanism.
