Unity Temple Turns 100
Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple turned 100 on September 26th.
Wright was a member of Oak Park's Unitarian Universalist Congregation, which was
located in a frame church building just a few blocks from his home. When the church burned down after being struck by lightening, Wright was asked to design a new house of worship.
Wright wanted to create a place that evoked the simplicity of ancient temples. He turned
his back on the busy, noisy street outside, and encased worshipers in a cocoon of peace and harmony.
The site was long and narrow, and the budget was small and tight. Concrete was cheap
and would conform to almost any shape the architect could design. Natural light would be provided by large clerestory windows and skylights.
But concrete is a porous material. Flat roofs have a tendency to hold water. On
September 13, 2008 enough rain fell in Chicago on a single day to break a 130 year record. The church sustained substantial ceiling damage. The building is 100 years old and requires lots of money for upkeep and maintenance. The recent damage means that the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation has even more work to do and a larger financial burden. So much so that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed the building on its endangered list. How much longer the members of the Universalist group will be able to survive in the buiding is a matter of debate. Is there a Temple if there is no congregation?
Please visit the Foundation website by clicking here, and help in the effort to preserve
this world treasure for at least the next 100 years.
Posted by designslinger at 10/6/2009 2:00 AM 
Categories: Architecture,Preservation,History,Architects,Decorative Arts
Tags: Unitarian Universalist Church Frank Lloyd Wright
Categories: Architecture,Preservation,History,Architects,Decorative Arts
Tags: Unitarian Universalist Church Frank Lloyd Wright
or a Congegation if no Temple?
A beautiful setting!
Frank Lloyd's buildings are not holding too well, too bad.
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Yeah, it's a common complaint about his buildings. The congregation has talked about leaving the building for years, but it seems to be getting a little more serious. As for Frank, he was an innovator and most of his homes are 70 years or older. Lets face it any home that is that old needs constant repair, but most weren't designed by one of the most famous architects in history, so who no one writes stories about them!
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Nice to find this site!
FLW is certainly one of the greats, but the problem with some of these fairly recent buildings is that they need a lot of maintenance work. Just look at a Le Corbusier building (there are quite a few here in Paris), not repainted since a decade or so!
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Thanks for visiting! It's true. Most of these buildings do need a lot of maintenance, they're old and require constant attention. Which of course takes deep pockets. And, if these building weren't built by some of the most renowned architects of all time, they wouldn't garner much attention. But, even in FLW's old Oak Park neighborhood there are late 19th and early 20th century homes that are beautifully maintained, but again, with a substantial financial investment.
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