A Lady Escapes: The Exterior of Fallingwater

Continuing on the Pennsylvanian theme, I had the pleasure of visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's magical Fallingwater during my recent stay back home. Located in Mill Run, very  close to Ohiopyle, it's about a 1.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh through the gentle, rolling hills of southwestern PA. The place is very dear to Pittsburghers, for it was designed in 1935 for the Kaufmann family, whose iconic department stores filled the city landscape from 1871 to 2006. I grew up going to Kaufmann's, as did everyone else from the burgh. The flagship store (or 'big store'as it was always known), was located downtown on the corner of Smithfield Street and Fifth Avenue. Frank Lloyd Wright had a hand in designing certain offices in the store, and then was commissioned to design a summer home for the Kaufmanns', and Fallingwater was the result. Pittsburgh was still a sooty, dark sort of place and though the family had their residence in cozy, comfortable Fox Chapel, they wanted a true escape from the steel city. They found it at Fallingwater, the house that made the cover of Time magazine in 1938 and that has been enchanting visitors since it opened as a museum in 1964. Literally built on top of a waterfall, the house is unlike any I have ever seen. It feels like an extension of nature, as if it was born from the very water it touches. That, of course, was Wright's desire: he wanted the home to be a true representation of organic architecture. The materials all come from the region- he used only steel, sandstone, reinforced concrete and glass in his construction. Long before baby boomers and millenials became obsessed with leading an "organic" lifestyle, Wright was using the term to develop an architectural philosophy that sought both inspiration from and unity with the natural world. I've heard the criticism from people I know that Fallingwater already seems dated, but I can't wholly agree with that statement, which I think may stem from its over-popularity. Perhaps because I live in a world of New England saltboxes (which I DO love), Fallingwater still feels relevant and is still a sight to behold. 
The Kaufmanns' imagined a home built with a view of the waterfall, but Wright was a visionary and did the unthinkable (with a staggering price). I took the standard tour on a week day in mid-July and the place was packed with tourists. The tour was certainly extensive and led by a very informed docent, but it was crowded, and impossible to linger in the rooms or on the many decks. There are other tours available and I'll be interested in taking another when I'm back in the area, because I'll be able to appreciate it in a nuanced way during a different season.  For me, the place was too extensive for a summer home. However, most of the space is taken up by balconies- everything inside is meant to lead you back from whence you came-to return you to the source of the home: the falling water below. 

The Waterworks Museum

 These days, it seems like we are in the age of the technological small. What was once large yet effective, is now clunky and cumbersome. The public wants their machines to be not only powerful but elegant, and elegance arrives in slender designs that fit into the palms of our hands. At the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill, however, I was reminded that the titan machines of our industrial past hold a beauty of their own. The museum shares the history of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and the pumping station that became an integral part of the city's water system. Built in the 1880s when Boston's population was rapidly growing, this Richardsonian Romanesque structure with its incredible machinery would help supply the city's new and old inhabitants with clean water. In fact, this site was one of the first in the country to regularly test the quality of the water.  For an entire century the waterworks served the citizens of Boston. Now, it embraces it's new purpose of telling the tales of our industrial roots by preserving these big and beautiful pieces of progress. 

April in Boston

A Bostonian April flits between winter and spring. One never quite knows if the day will resemble the bleakness of January or the pleasantness of May. Today, at least, the skies looked ahead and claimed spring as their own. The Public Garden and Common were full of happy tourists and even happier locals, who have endured a long and difficult winter. But what a difference the hue of the skies can make! 

We've waited for the blue of today for a long time. 

Downtown Days

Though I have been updating this blog less frequently, I've been taking more and more photographs of the city, only neglecting to share them. I've decided to share an assortment of these pictures I've taken over the course of the past few months and have given myself the assignment of sharing them on an actual, regular basis. To start, here are a handful of pics I've taken during my mornings before work and the lunches that break up the day. Hope they are enjoyable. All photos taken with the iphone 5. 

The Beginning of Commonwealth

The beginning of Commonwealth Ave starts where the Public Garden ends. Lately I've taken to walking from work all the way to Kenmore Station and my route takes me right down the Comm Ave Mall, past elegant townhouses that speak of another time and even another place. The boulevard, which was designed in 1856 by one Arthur Gilman, looks and feels very much like the Parisian boulevards that served as inspiration. The long grassy mall is dotted with statues along the way; including likenesses of Alexander Hamilton, William Lloyd Garrison and even Phillis Wheatley (and Samuel Eliot Morrison, pictured above). To walk down the Commonwealth Ave Mall is to be spoiled by the tranquility of the greenery and the splendor of the architecture. It is another representation of Boston's early dedication to sophisticated, natural spaces. The greenway ends near Kenmore but Commonwealth continues, through the world of Boston University to Allston (where my tiny abode is) until it reaches Boston College. There's not even the slightest bit of competition. The beginning of Comm Ave is my favorite stretch of the famous street. 

Commonwealth Ave Abodes

 I live amidst rows of apartment buildings steeped in early 20th century history, when this area was still being shaped by the hands of architects. My own building dates from 1915, when Wilson was President and when the Great War in Europe raged on. Here in Boston, the Red Sox won the World Series. They would win the next year, too. My building will have its centennial in two years and I often think about all the souls who have dwelled within these walls I now claim as my own. I see the history in the moldings and the doorknobs and on the spindles of the staircase that leads me to my door. There's grandeur in the design of these buildings, most of which goes unnoticed by the many college students and young professionals who occupy them. I know far less about architecture than I'd liked to, but it thrills me to walk past these structures and notice a detail I hadn't seen the day before. 

And there is nothing so wonderful as having windows covered in ivy and grape vine, as mine are. 

Trinity Church

 As many times as I have visited Boston, I never once thought of entering Trinity Church. Of course, I have passed by it on numerous occasions and noticed its architecture with awe or indifference, depending on the day. I've seen its name appear time and time again on Boston travel guides and yet somehow ignored the recommendation to tour it myself. Until this past weekend, that is. On Sunday after the 11:15 service, I took advantage of Trinity Church's only free tour of the week, led by an incredibly informative docent named Peter. Thanks to his enlightening commentary, I learned a great deal about the church's origins and the individuals who played a part in its creation.

 It was a man by the name of H.H. Richardson who designed this great building, in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque or Romanesque Revival. Taking inspiration from the Romanesque style of earlier periods, Richardson added color and warmth, thereby illuminating the space. The result of this richness, along with a Greek cross plan and the total lack of any columns, is that visitors feel extremely welcomed. I certainly did. An young artist called John La Farge (along with his team) was the one actually responsible for the 22,000 square feet of decoration. Miraculously, it took him and his team only five months to complete all the murals and other decorative features. 

The stained glass came from a variety of different studios, including William Morris's and Clayton & Bell. Edward Burne-Jones, famed member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, was a part of Morris's team and left his mark on more than one stained glass. I had no idea. What was both thrilling and interesting was how unique each set of stained glass windows looked, depending on which studio was responsible. In a way, it's strange that they all call Trinity their home because each has its own style and personality. 

This spring, PBS will air a special on the "Ten Buildings That Changed America." Trinity Church is number two on their list and after touring its interior, I can see why. Though the architect and a majority of the artists studied in Europe (and most of the stained glass came from European studios), the church feels distinctively American. It does not feel at all like the grand cathedrals of France or Belgium that I toured years ago. The materials are different; the history is different. It did not feel stark or isolating. On the contrary, the site felt truly democratic in nature. And when I left, I left feeling proud of its presence. It truly was spellbinding. 

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For those with curious minds, the other nine buildings that changed America (according to PBS) are:

1.Virginia State Capitol-Richmond, Virginia, 1788

2. Wainwright Building-St. Louis, Missouri, 1891

3. Robie House-Chicago, IL, 1910

4. Highland Park Ford Plant-Highland Park, Michigan, 1910

5. Southdale Center-Edina, Minnesota, 1956

6. Seagram Building-New York, New York, 1958

7. Dulles International Airport-Chantilly, Virginia, 1962

8. Vanna Venturi House-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1964

9. Walt Disney Concert Hall-Los Angeles, CA-2003