Wright Chat

peterm · Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 6:18 pm Post subject:

Thanks, David-

Are there any other cork tiled Wright baths which come to mind besides Fallingwater? The photos show them to be in good condition, but of course, it's impossible to tell in this case because ongoing restoration and maintenance would be above and beyond that found in most other houses.

It's interesting, because at the other Kaufmann house in Palm Springs, Neutra used cork in the kitchen for the floor, countertops, and backsplash (possibly in the bathrooms as well? And I'm assuming that this was Neutra's intention, not just a Marmol Radzinger intervention when restoring the place...)

http://www.homedesignhome.com/the-kaufmann-house-in-palm-springs-renovated-by-marmol-radizner/

If indeed original in the desert house, it would seem to indicate that at Fallingwater, the use of the material had been considered to be successful.

DRN · Joined: 10 Jul 2006 Posts: 1551 Location: New Jersey

DavidC wrote:

egads · Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 623 Location: Long Beach CA

I looked through my Fallingwater photos, and while I did have a shot of a guest bath, it was cordoned off, with the actual tub/shower around the corner, impossible to photo if I recall.

Roderick Grant · Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 3947

In "La Casa Sulla Cascata di F. Ll. Wright," an offprint of an article co-written by Bruno Zevi and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. for the August 1962 issue of "L'Architettura cronache e storia," there is a single b/w interior of the "main" bath on page 71. The wall shown is plaster and the floor appears to have carpeting. In 1962, I believe Edgar still owned FW.

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8032 Location: San Francisco

The photo in "La Casa . . ." identified by Roderick Grant:

Two photos of a bath in the main house, from Donald Hoffman's Dover volume:

Jeff Myers · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 1741 Location: Tulsa

odd toilet.
Very interesting too.
_________________
JAT
Jeff T

egads · Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 623 Location: Long Beach CA

Here are the guest bath photos I have:

P7021922.JPG by gregory.dart, on Flickr

P7021921.JPG by gregory.dart, on Flickr

These are of the second bath, the first, with the glass above the sink is shown above. I really thought I had a photo of that bath as well, but I can't find it.
P7021920.JPG by gregory.dart, on Flickr

peterm · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:06 pm Post subject:

Does anyone know what the horizontal rectangular void(?) is visible above the toilet in the last black and white photo?

The back lit mirror is so elegant, (and probably very functional), and that massive 30's porcelain sink, ahh...

Cork is such an amazing material. Every nine years the bark is harvested, and then it grows back. The tree does not need to be cut down. From an environmental perspective, it is hard to beat. There is some sort of oil which makes it impervious to rot from moisture and protects it against mildew and mold. Lightweight, easy to cut, comfortable to walk on; it's sure to make a comeback as a material to use in high traffic and damp environments. I realized that it is also available in rolls. I wonder what the drawbacks are for shower areas? It seems like the tiles from the fifties were always lifting and coming unglued...

Jeff Myers · Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 1741 Location: Tulsa

Glue probably wasn't probably for moisture areas.
_________________
JAT
Jeff T

dleach · Joined: 16 Jan 2011 Posts: 127 Location: Fair Oaks, CA

The dark opening above the water closet and the corresponding one at the floor are to access and provide air circulation around the toilet tank which is in the wall. The flushing handle can be seen to the right of the WC just below the upper opening.
One manufacturer of that period (I don't recall which one, possibly Crane which was an industry leader during that time) made an in the wall tank type water closet. This installation looks like it was made from an ordinary tank type WC. As I recall, the manufactured one had a rear inlet
It is also possible that the factory one was a follow-on to this FLW prototype.

Don Leach

dleach · Joined: 16 Jan 2011 Posts: 127 Location: Fair Oaks, CA

This just came to me.
Didn't FLW claim to have invented the wall-hung water closet? Entirely believable. It may well be among his patents.

Don Leach

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8032 Location: San Francisco

And/or the suspended toilet enclosure -- presumably installed at the Larkin building ? I had thought there were cantilevered (wall-hung) toilets at Fallingwater -- but I may have been dreaming.

Cork doesn't seem to me an ideal material for wet environments. It must always be remembered that for many a progressive designer, different is the same thing as better !

SDR

egads · Joined: 13 Apr 2009 Posts: 623 Location: Long Beach CA

Many things are possible with full time staff.

SDR · Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 8032 Location: San Francisco

DRN supplies the following paragraph, and new photos of the Sweeton bathroom:

Our work was not a restoration. It was a mild renovation to incorporate a new tub, a sink which ergonomically fits the residents, and to address past water damage/maintenance issues with respect to the wood and masonry surfaces at wet areas. 1x1 tile was used as it has precedent in Taliesin designs of the 50's and 60's, and we believed the colors and richness of the slate grain would compliment the wood graining. 3x6 slate tiles were set within the 1x1's to carry the wood batten lines through the fields of tile. A local finish carpenter installed edge trim to stop the tile, modified the existing vanity to accept the new sink, and crafted a wood skirt to cover the tub access panels.