This tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House, built in the early 1950s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, brings to life one of Wright's last residential masterpieces. Working from extensive materials gathered by Ann and Leonard Eaton, and from his own fifty-two-year familiarity with the building, Grant Hildebrand crafts the story of Billy and Mary Palmer's extraordinary home. He presents in detail the events surrounding the Palmers' selection of Wright as architect; Wright's personal creation of the design; the challenges, and the craftsmanship, of its construction; the evolution of its garden and teahouse; the role of the house as a setting for the Palmers' lives; and an analysis of its remarkable formal and spatial qualities. With a rich compendium of personal information and an extensive array of photographs, plans, and diagrams created especially for this book, "Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House" offers a comprehensive exploration of a living work of art and an intimate portrait of the people who, having brought it into being, treasured its presence in their lives for half a century. Citing the particular synergies of architect and client, house and site, Hildebrand situates the heretofore little-known Palmer House within the context of Wright's overall oeuvre and presents a convincing argument for the inclusion of the Palmer House in the canon of the architect's finest residential designs.
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Editorial Reviews
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"This is a book that offers a wide variety of perspectives; it has appeal on a personal level--the story of designing and building a particular house--and contributes to Frank Lloyd Wright scholarship. Hildebrand and Eaton are two of the leading Wright specialists in the United States." -Richard Guy Wilson, University of Virginia "A book that will delight all lovers of architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House provides a rare example of sympathetic in-depth analysis of an important building from the highly personal position of both client and historian." -Jennifer Taylor, Queensland University of Technology
From the Publisher
"This is a book that offers a wide variety of perspectives; it has appeal on a personal level--the story of designing and building a particular house -- and contributes to Frank Lloyd Wright scholarship. Hildebrand and Eaton are two of the leading Wright specialists in the United States." -- Richard Guy Wilson, University of Virginia
"A book that will delight all lovers of architecture. Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House provides a rare example of sympathetic in-depth analysis of an important building from the highly personal position of both client and historian." -- Jennifer Taylor, Queensland University of Technology
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gem of Organic Architecture,
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This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House (Paperback)
In this wonderful book the authors detail various aspects of the bringing into being of this perfect example of Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture. Starting with background information on the town of Ann Arbor, Michigan we are introduced to the clients, neighborhood and specific site on which their dream house would be erected. The process of selecting and securing Wright as their architect is explored in depth. We then learn of the give and take between client and architect during the design stage. The search for a suitable contractor and the attention to detail required of him in the building of this unconventional house are presented.
The Palmer's experiences of living for over 50 years in this masterpiece of residential architecture are explored and bring the building to life for the reader. The book is well illustrated with color photos, some b&w construction photos and plans that are large enough to study. In addition, a wonderful word picture tour of the house and surrounding landscape is presented. The technically minded may perhaps wish for more information on the construction aspects, but most things seem to have proceeded so well as to go unremarked. This book is more than anything a tribute to the remarkable clients whose faith in Wright's vision, as well as their own personal artistic vision in creating the surrounding landscape, caused one of his most unknown gems to be built. Highly recommended!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have for Wright fans,
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This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House (Paperback)
This is a beautifully illustrated book on the Palmer House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, one of the most interesting and most beautifully constructed and finished of Mr. Wright's houses. The landscaping and gardens provided a proper framework for the architecture, and the personalities of Mary and Billy Palmer are evident throughout. Your collection of books on Wright's work is not complete without this volume.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Palmer House book is fabulous,
By Kelly Brickey "Kelly" (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frank Lloyd Wright's Palmer House (Paperback)
As a FLLW-o-phile I appreciated the personal rememberances, and the amount of useful information for anyone thinking about building a usonian-style house was a huge bonus.
I loved the story that the Palmers gave him a low budget figure, knowing that he always went over budget, and he was able to figure out that they had more money than they let on! Leave it to Mr. Wright to spend it all. But the house is stunning, as you will see from the beautiful quality photos. Be prepared though, as soon as the book comes and you open it, you'll probably be useless for anything else until you turn the last page.
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