No good comes from restricting a dragon’s path from the mountain to the water. And so the Chinese make sure to incorporate a hole in tall buildings which otherwise could block the way.

I do follow certain feng shui principles in my life. Some can be difficult to follow but some can easily be incorporated into your life. But incorporating a hole in a building that’s pretty serious! Of course upsetting a dragon can as well.

Another day we can talk about spirit houses in Thailand.

I have to start this weeks architect post with a disclaimer: The architects have been presented in random order. Or perhaps in alphabetical order (close I think). Because today one of my favourites if not my favourite and one of the greatest: Frank Lloyd Wright. I suppose I must start with Fallingwater. My hesitation is not for it’s lack of beauty but become it has become such a obvious choice. But an obvious choice for a reason.

Wright was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator, born in 1867 and died in 1959. He was the leader of the Prairie School. In 1991 the American Institute of Architects recognized Wright as the “greatest American architect of all time”. At the start of this career he worked with Adler and Sullivan (Louis Sullivan can be the topic of another post – which may have me a bit upset).

Chicago has so many Wright buildings. Robie House is great. Then of course there is Oak Park where his actual home was. Oak Park has a very high concentration of Wright homes.



The dining room table designed by Wright had very high backs so that when seated you would feel enveloped in a room within a room.



I’m embarassed to say I have yet to visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York. Typically when in NYC all I want to do is wannder around and appreciate the cityscape and feel the energy – that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. But I will make my way there, well perhaps not in the next 4 years.



And my favourite property of my favourite architect is Hollyhock House – love, love, love, this property. I visited it in Los Angeles, in East Hollywood. This is a great property. The stylized hollyhocks (one of my preferred flowers) are the main decorative feature. Very similar to Ennis House – which regularly gets featured in movies or tv shows.



Recently saw this chair at a house in New Edinburgh one of his classic designs.



This post would not be complete without mentioning his beautiful stained glass.



Finally there’s the retired teacher who did not realize she owned a Frank Lloyd Wright home – I suspect that realization can really appreciate the value of your home.

I think by now I have confirmed that he is my favourite and I probably could go on more but I wont. Over and out for this architect.

If I’ve peaked your interest in architecture and architects visit my previous posts: Frank Gehry, Antoni Gaudi, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

As I do some research to put this post together one word comes to mind about Frank Gehry – prolific. But of course the other word has has be whimsical. How unique is he! Most of the time one can readily recognize a Gehry building, but every once in a while he’ll thrown you and go into a completely different direction. Gehry is a Canadian born American architect residing in Lost Angeles. To get details of him you can look at the wikipedia page and he has a wikipedia page for his work.



In the video announcing a Master Class being offered online he says “You have to find your own voice – create the logic”

On this side of the pond he is probably best known for the Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles. On the other side of the pond dare I say the Guggenheim Bilbao. But off course there’s also the Dancing House in Prague. Back to this continent Patrick Dempsey lives the Davis Studio a Frank Gehry designed residence in Malibu. It was featured in Architectural Digest.

Molly’s favourite is the EMP Museum – Seattle cant tire of looking at that. Another Architectural Digest spread illustrates 28 of his most spectacular buildings.



Enjoy!

Today we feature Molly’s favourite architect, designer: Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi was a Spanish architect of the late nineteenth century. Most of his work is located in Barcelona.  His most important project is the Sagrada Familia – a cathedral which was started in 1882 and is set to be finished in 2026 and is the most visited monument of all of Spain.



His work is said to be organic and natural forms. His creations are of the same period as Art Nouveau and one can certainly appreciate that yes there are curves and sometimes similar curves but not quite the same curves. Seven of his pieces have been declared World heritage Sites by UNESCO. It seems his furniture has never been produced since the originals were created and so a cool $18,000 can get you a chair.


Previously featured architects Eberhard Zeidler, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier.

Last week we went to the US. This week lets armchair travel to France with Le Corbusier or Charles-Edouard Jeanneret.  Le Corbusier was a Swiss-French architect, designer, painter, urban planner and writer. His most iconic building is Notre Dame du Haut. A beautiful structure to me is Villa Savoye.  Here Architectural Digest features his most significant projects.

On this side of the pond he may be most famous for his Chaise Lounge LC4 and for the sofas and chairs LC2 LC3 which are regularly used in museums. I considered owning but not very comfortable to sit on for a long period. Although I’m staring at a pic an LC3 with down cushions may not be a streamlined but may be more comfortable.

Next week I think we’ll go to Spain.

My website is being worked on and the sidebars have been acting up sorry about that!

In concert with the endeavour to bring more art to the social medias especially your Facebook feed I have chosen to turn the limelight towards Architects. Today’s featured architect is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Mies (as he was often called) was famous for bringing simplicity to the world of architecture and the expressions “Less is more” as well as “God is in the details”.

He was an American architect born in 1886 Germanny he died in 1969 in the US. The Toronto-Dominion Centre yes in Toronto to me best embodies his style that of the exposed I beam skelton. I’ve always thought Place de Ville at Kent and Albert was of his style though not from him.

I saw so much of his work in Chicago – including S.R. Crown Hall. The city he choose to call home for the second half of this life. A city whose architectural treasures are many.

And of course most architects also have a celebrated chair attached to their name and in this case we have the Barcelona chair – which also has an ottoman and a bench but the chair is the piece that reached the highest iconic status.

The Palace of Versailles really is the Versailles of Palaces. One could lose ones head for it! I’m sorry! Reall I’m sorry!The Palace was started with Louis XIII and Marie Antoinette with her aloof ways contributed the Petit Trianon and the Hameau de la Reine and ultimately to it’s (and her) demise. I have explored most of it. I was at a play at the Grand Trianon and a Harp Concert in one of the Salon’s. The gardens are immense, the fountains too numerous to count. And to walk from the main Palace to the Hameau de la Reine la Reine is a hike. I like these pictures they’re not the usual pics you see. Enjoy!