Architectural Spotlight | Wright, Johnson, and Warnecke
It goes without saying that architects leave indelible marks on our lives; they are the masterminds behind the homes we live in and the homes we aspire to. From time to time, architects soar above the baseline notoriety of their peers, pushing the envelope, and creating pieces of live-in art that alter the landscape of their industry.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Philip Johnson, and John Carl Warnecke, all American-born, are among the names of architects gilded as legends in their craft. In Connecticut, Alberta, and Arizona we experience four homes that exemplify their creators’ expertise and unforgettable artistry.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Thought to be a precursor to his work on New York City’s famed Guggenheim Museum, the David and Gladys Wright house was completed in 1952. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the concrete bock home sits on nearly six acres overlooking Camelback Mountain.
Recently restored, the home’s interior features reproductions of the signature ”March Balloons” carpet designed by Wright for the living room along with a dining table and chairs.
Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson’s Wiley House in New Canaan, Connecticut is a quintessential piece of mid-century modernism. Built in the 1950’s, the double-height glass pavilion with its living room and subtly hidden but generous galley kitchen cantilevers out over the fieldstone base.
The slope of the land allows the lower-level rooms with the light marble floors full views of the property. The vintage swimming pool with its original diving pad is a twin to the circular pool at Johnson’s world-renowned Glass House.
John Carl Warnecke
Originally completed in 1946 by John Carl Warnecke, the designer of president John F. Kennedy’s “Eternal Flame” at Arlington National Cemetery, the 8,000-square-foot home rests alongside the Bow River in Banff.
While the home has been meticulously remodeled over the years, it still remains a significant piece of Warnecke’s legacy as it is believed to the be the only work of his in Banff. Privately nestled in Canada’s first National Park, this incredible residence embodies the grandeur of the surrounding Canadian Rockies.
