Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is stunning to tour, tough to live in

[Bozita]

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is stunning to tour, tough to live in
October 14, 2012 | Comments
By Ellen Creager
Detroit Free Press Travel Writer


MILL RUN, Pa. -- Masterpiece. Art. Perfection. Many fancy words and rapturous phrases have described Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous house.

It's all true. But what is also true is that I kept thinking, wow, this house is not childproof. A 2-year-old could tumble out that low, unlocked window and fall to his death! A toddler would drown in that unfenced plunge pool! The railings aren't high enough. The floor is too hard. And that giant open fireplace, what a safety issue. And where is the kitchen, anyway?

Obviously, I'm not the arbiter of architectural masterworks, only a hapless visitor with the pedestrian vision of a suburban housewife.

I do have to say that whoever designed the tour of Fallingwater must have been a man. You see the dining room, but not the kitchen, which is hidden away through a side door with its AGA stove and boring utilitarian uses. It's not part of the regular tour, but in this day and age when chefs are celebrities and people swoon over cooktops, it should be.

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[liberal N proud]

1. Falling water is a must see for the architectural, engineering artist types

Or anyone who enjoys such things.

While there you need to drive south about 6 miles to Ohiopyle to see Kentuck Knob. It is another one of Frank Lloyd Wright creation.

Most people don't even know it exists.

[Sherman A1]

2. I enjoyed my tour last year

You are correct that it's probably not child proof, but it was built in a different time & place. I also encourage a visit to nearby Fort Necessity and a stay at the Summit Inn. It's a cool place to stay. We were there on a foggy September night. Got some great fog photos that night.

[Seedersandleechers]

3. I would gladly sacrifice a two year old to live in that house.

Okay, where is the sarcasm thingy.

[Retrograde]

4. That's my general impression of Wright buildings

and why I think he is not a good architect: architects design buildings for people to use, Wright designed memorials to himself (what's that, Mr. Gehry?)

There are two Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the Buffalo area. I've toured on, Greycliffe, built as a summer home on the shore of Lake Erie for a local executive. Looks nice, great grounds and view of lake - but the windows are single-glazed and uninsulated in the snow belt, making it impractical for all-year use. There's an imposing fireplace made of local shale, a rock that contains a lot of moisture and thus has a tendency to explode when heated. According to the guide, after the first time dinner guests were hit with shrapnel they stopped using it. And the roof leaks.

The other one is the Darwin House, built for the same executive. His wife hated it, found it unlivable, and sold it as soon as she could after his death. It finally re-opened after a couple of decades of restoration. I can't comment on Wright's Larkin Building, which was razed shortly before I was born (I swear I had nothing to do with it!).