Frank Lloyd Wright Trust Concludes Interior Restoration Of The Robie House In Chicago
CHICAGO, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust announced the reopening of the Frederick C. Robie House on March 29, concluding the final phase of a comprehensive restoration at a total cost of $11 million. A masterpiece of the Prairie style and a precursor of modernism in architecture, now restored to its 1910 vision, the Robie House was designated as one of the 10 most significant structures of the twentieth century. With its bold horizontal lines, daring cantilevers, stretches of leaded glass windows and open floor plan, the Robie House inspired an architectural revolution.
The restoration of the house interiors is a significant transformation of the main entry hall and stairway, billiard room and children's playroom on the ground floor, and the living room, dining room and guest bedroom on the main floor. The exacting interior restoration reflects Wright's original vision in coloration, wall textures, lighting, leaded-glass windows and doors, millwork and cabinetry.
The original inglenook surrounding the living room fireplace has been reconstructed along with cabinetry in the dining room and children's playroom. Several items of original furniture, including the dining table and chairs, return to the Robie House on loan from the Smart Museum of Art. A recreated leaded-glass front entry door has been installed. The original door was destroyed in a 1960s student demonstration.
Celeste Adams, Trust President & CEO, observed, "Restoration is an ongoing process, a responsibility passed from one generation to the next, to preserve great monuments in perpetuity. With support from the Getty Foundation through its Keeping It Modern initiative, the Trust is completing a Conservation Management Plan for the Robie House, considered one of the most significant buildings of the twentieth century."
Major funders of the restoration include: Alphawood Foundation Chicago, Pritzker Foundation, Hickory Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Meijer Foundation, Tawani Foundation, John and Jeanne Rowe, Friends of Heritage Preservation, Richard and Mary L. Gray, and Viñoly Family Foundation.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust seeks to engage, educate and inspire the public through interpretation of Frank Lloyd Wright's design legacy and preservation of his original sites in Chicago.
Media Contact: Heike Rass | [email protected]
SOURCE Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
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