Customer Reviews

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an architect and fan of Wright I find most any documentation of his work and life of interest, but found that this book offered little beyond a handful of pictures not unlike the few shots of the Hardy house seen in other books. Not sure how "years of research" resulted in so little text, or why a book authored by a photographer included so few shots (where is the fireplace?). The sketch of a larger version of the design is nice, although the reader will need a magnifying glass to decipher.

Having grown up in Racine, I had always been aware of the "odd" house on Main Street. I knew it was by Wright, but little else. From the street it presented almost a blank exterior with only a high row of windows to relieve it. This little book has done much to resolve the mystery, providing details of both the history and the interior of the house. Wright took a difficult urban site and designed one of his more unique works (that's a thought). I found the book both enjoyable and informative.

Well written with great pictures, location description, and intriguing small facts about house, street and site location, lake intrusion, etc.
Original and successive owners discussed--gives insight into type people that will purchase a FLW designed house, how long they will reside in it, and the type alterations they consider as they live in it. The only reason I did not give it a 5 star rating- I would have liked a little more detail on furnishings-original and remaining- and the windows and a few more shots of the inside. IT IS A GREAT READ AND AN INTRIGUING BOOK FOR FLW SCHOLARS.

Architect icon Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was commissioned in 1906 by Thomas P. Hardy to build a house in Racine, Wisconsin, on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The result was to become known as the 'Hardy House' and considered to be a true architectural gem and an example of Wright's 'organic architecture' concept. Knowledgeably written and photographically illustrated by Mark Hertzberg (a member of the board of directors of the Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin Heritage Tourism Program), "Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House" provides a complete descriptive history of this remarkable building (including the use of source material that includes historical correspondence and architectural plans from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation) to provide a detailed (with interior and exterior color photographs, as well as historical photographs and architectural drawings) survey of the one hundred years the Hardy House. Enhanced with the inclusion of a bibliography, "Frank Lloyd Wright's Hardy House" is a seminal work that is an essential contribution to professional and academic library Architectural Studies reference collections. Also very highly recommended for students of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is Mark Hertzberg's earlier work, "Wright in Racine" (Pomegranate, 2004).