FLW Tour Around Chicago – Part 4

I had originally planned to combine a Saturday 4-hour tour of Taliesin with a Friday tour of the Johnson Wax Administration (now SC Johnson) building in Racine, and an overnight stay somewhere between the two. However the booking gods were not on my side, so I decided to make an afternoon trip up to Racine to visit the Johnson house, Wingspread.

I bolted out of Chicago, stressing about time and the stop-start traffic in inner Chicago. I arrived at the security gates of the property with about 25 minutes to spare. As would be expected of an estate like this, the grounds were magnificent; tracts of forest, creeks, dams and expanses of manicured lawns. As you round the last corner, the house rises up infront of you. It’s quite a sight.

The tour itself is far less formal than the other Wright houses; the tour guide gives you a brief overview of the house and occupants and then you’re left to your own devices to wander through. Only three rules; no opening closed doors, no opening external doors and no sitting on the barrel chairs. This was a welcome relief after the strict restrictions on the other houses I’ve visited. In addition they are happy for you to take photos; forbidden in most FLW houses.

Most impressive, as planned by Wright, is the central part of the house (“Great Hall”) featuring the massive brick column in the middle of the room. It dominates the room and separates it into different areas (with built-in furniture and different floor heights). It houses a number of fireplaces and stretches up to the circus tent roof like a huge ridgepole.

Only two of the four wings are visible (one of the other is converted into offices and the other is the catering section for the conference centre). Of the two wings, the main double story wing (north wing) has had the lower floor converted into bathrooms and a coatroom. Only the upper floor is close to how Wright originally designed it; although much of the furnishings have been removed so the rooms can be used for conference sessions. The end room, which is cantilvered many metres out, is the most impressive with great views all around. The other wing is a lot simpler with a series of childrens rooms, all now setup for conference activities.

So unlike other FLW houses that have been, or are being, restored to how they would have been, this one is serving a living purpose not as the maker intended. However there is enough detail, particularly in the furnishings that give you a feel for how the house is intended to be used. Well worth the visit.

On my way back to Chicago I drove past the Johnson Wax headquarters. Photo’s I’d seen show a road (Howe St) running alongside the two FLW-designed buildings. I thought I’d be able to park and walk along this street and take some photo’s. This is not possible; the Johnson campus is quite a bit larger than the original FLW buildings and a large security fence surrounds the whole property. You can’t go down Howe St or get close to the buildings (there’s on wall on 16th street you can get to, but there’s not much to see). This was a bit disappointing.