9 Essential Frank Lloyd Wright Designs That Are Still Admired Today

If you were to sit down and talk with a random group of people to discuss some of the most influential and impactful architects in history, chances are that the name Frank Lloyd Wright will appear in your conversation. His work transcended architecture capturing the attention of people around the world. 

Even more so, his perspective on design has echoed across history into the classrooms and design studios of emerging designers. Wright’s philosophy centered around helping people understand how to make life more beautiful. 

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 “The mission of an architect is to help people understand how to make life more beautiful, the world a better one for living in, and to give reason, rhyme, and meaning to life,” stated the architect. Throughout his lifetime, a career spanning seven decades, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 1,114 architectural structures with a little over half of his work coming into fruition. 

So, as you probably garnered from the title, today we are going to take a look at some of Wright’s most memorable works to further confirm and reiterate that impact of one of the most important architects in history.

The Bachman-Wilson House

This three-bedroom 1,700-square-foot Bachman Wilson House came into existence in 1956 becoming a strong example of Usonian design. The massive home allowed residents to be greeted by the warm sunlight each day due to is massive and welcoming windows. The home was eventually deconstructed to move from its New Jersey location to the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas.

Avery Coonley House

Another quintessential Prairie design, this stunning home was for a local industrialist in the Des Plaines River. The interiors of the home are considered some of Wright’s best work featuring alluring spacious design and art windows. 

Norman Lykes House

A quintessential Wright home, this home was designed for Norman and Aimee Lykes in 1959. The home itself takes inspiration from the nearby mountains and the Palm Canyon, giving those living in the home a stunning view of the landscape. Wright would pass away in 1959 so it would be his apprentice John Rattenbury who would eventually finish the home. 

Millard House 

The home looks like real-life legos come together. The Millard House is one of the more uniquely designed buildings in his portfolio. This residence was Wright’s first textile-block home created by the architect. It features stacks of decorative concrete blocks that fit together. The home integrates itself into the surrounding nature, featuring plenty of outdoor space.   

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Museum is probably one of the most recognizable works created by the talented architect. The building itself has become a staple of pop culture and one of the most instagrammable destinations in the world. Created in 1959, the building was met with praise and even some fear that the beauty of the building would overshadow the art. 

Found in the Upper East Side in the bustling New York City, the building's cylindrical and circular style is something to be experienced, as the building looks like something out of Ridley Scott film, yet is timeless. 

Hollyhock House

Another major staple of Wright’s portfolio, the Hollyhock House was an attempt to create a  regional style for Los Angeles. Named after the owner’s favorite flower, the rustic home features a large number of terraces, split levels, and courtyards. It's another example of how Wright tried to integrate the outdoors with the indoors in his homes. 

It is important to note here that a lot of Wright’s work looks to nature for inspiration. As Wright once said, “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be on the hill belonging to it. Hill and house should live together with each the happier for the other.”

Child of the Sun

A majority of Wright’s work centered around residential buildings that very literally improved the quality of life of their residents. However, his work was not just limited to that. The Child of the Sun series of buildings on the Florida Southern College was part of the architect’s commissioned goal to create the college of tomorrow. It is another great example of Wright’s “organic architecture”. 

Fallingwater

This wouldn’t be a Frank Lloyd Wright list if we did not mention the Fallingwater building. Some have gone as far to call the building the most famous private home of the 20th century. The home merges many of Wright’s key philosophies into a singular idea that merges seamlessly with the surrounding nature. 

The home is part of a waterfall in Bear Run, a summer camp in western Pennsylvania owned by the wealthy Kaufmann family. The iconic home appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1938. 

Willits House

A massive 6,000-square-foot home that features leaded glass windows, it is considered to be the first true Prairie-style home. The wood-frame and stucco-style home eliminate doorways, creating a more open environment for those in the buildings. Its 1901 cruciform plan would later appear in some of Wright’s later works.