Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright; Architecture in Detail [Paperback]

Robert McCarter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Architecture in Detail | Publication Date: April 24, 1997

Unity Temple represents the high point of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie" period, and the founding of a place of sanctuary for the Unitarian congregation - a branch of Protestantism founded by his own great-great grandfather in 1726. Located in Oak Park, Illinois, the temple is ordered on a rigorous system of proportion determined on both exterior and interior by the measurements of the central interior sanctuary space. This detailed account invites the viewer (as Wright's creation does itself) to see the act of building as sacred, and buildings as sacred places.

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Amazon.com Review

One of the latest installments in Phaidon Press's innovative Architecture in Detail series, this title explores Frank Lloyd Wright's legendary Unity Temple, a building representing the pinnacle of his Prairie Style. Each uniquely formatted paperback (60 pages, square) in the series presents a celebrated building in the history of architecture and explores it in concise detail. Completed in 1908, Unity Temple represents a decisive step in religious architecture of the 20th century. Text and extensive captions explain all the photographic and illustrative details, from the solid concrete columns to the geometric grid of 25 stained-glass skylights that flood the interior with warm light. Like the other books in the series (which feature buildings by Ando, Gropius, Kahn, Aalto, and Corbu), this one includes reproductions of original documents, technical drawings, an essay, and a complete bibliography and chronology. The plethora of details presented amounts to the most in-depth approach to an individual building.

Product Details

• Paperback: 60 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (April 24, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071483629X
• ISBN-13: 978-0714836294
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 11.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,081,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reshaping the Church, July 17, 2001

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Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright; Architecture in Detail (Paperback)

Frank Lloyd Wright was mostly a home designer. One of his most important public commissions was for Unity Temple in his then home town of Oak Park, Illinois. The Unitarian-Universalist congregation there had just had its church burn down. As a result, the budget was right. Yet the site was right in the middle of several other large, impressive churchs Mr. Wright had also observed this faith. What could be done?

Mr. Wright first thought that the steeple could be eliminated. Those of the Unitarian-Universalist faith believe that works on earth are important, so this could fit doctrinally. Also, it would save a lot of money. Instead, the church has a large skylight covering art glass that gives a feeling of looking up into the vault of heaven.

Second, he realized that concrete was a really cheap material. So he made the church from concrete, and chose a design that would make good use of the material.

Third, he made the design so that the church would appear as massive as possible while keeping it small. Today, the church is complemented by a similar design of the U.S. Post Office on the adjacent southwest corner done by one of Mr. Wright's students.

Fourth, he made the inside of the church very intimate, with all pews quite close to the dais, with great sight lines. This also permits a secondary use of the sanctuary for theatrical and musical performances.

Extensive art glass also gives the inside a soft glow from external light while keeping attention focused internally. You have a quiet, meditative sense inside the church, which I visited yesterday.

Although the book claims that Unity Temple is in terrific shape, and the photographs reveal that, my experience was different. It is undergoing major rehabilitation to fix chunks of concrete having fallen off, leaks, and areas that need repainting. If you like Mr. Wright's work, I hope you will consider contributing to the congregation's efforts.

Many of the plans of Unity Temple disappeared when Mr. Wright moved to Taliesin. He did have a chapter in his autobiography about designing the church, so we have much material from that source. The book has many nice photographs (mostly in black and white) of the overall design, the lighting elements, and the window treatments. The appendix has extensive architectural drawings which allow you to see the scale and interplay of elements.

Although you can take photographs in Unity Temple, I think the ones in this book will be more rewarding than those that most people could take for themselves.

After you finish enjoying this fine example of Mr. Wright's Prairie style, I suggest that you think about the elements you prefer in a place of worship. What's essential and what's not? What examples of houses of worship do you find most spiritual? Why?

Find God wherever you are!