The Architecture Thread

Originally Posted by JetBlast

Click to expand...

Of course I have to post the obligatory airport Appreciation

however it is truly my favorite building on earth. Unfortunately Photobucket is acting up so I can't use some of my own shots that I believe capture the life of the building. It may be more because of the memories of good times I've had here but I find the physical structure to be architecturally notable.

Saarinen's terminal at Dulles Airport, Virginia:

Also of note just up the airport access road is the interesting Gannett/USA Today headquarters:

i actually did a case study of this building in a-school. in fact i have scans of the the entire set of original construction documents somewhere, and they're amazing. don't tell the feds though, i have a feeling airport blueprints are a big post-9/11 no-no

Originally Posted by Reborn

Click to expand...

And to think that these were the costs:



Think about all the crap people would build for $2.3 million today. None of it is going to look that good 70 years from now.

I'm planning a trip to go see that as well as Kentuck Knob in the spring.

seeing both of those houses in person was one of the more inspiring things i've done. fallingwater lives up to the hype.

Accounting for inflation, this translates to about $2.3 million in 2007 dollars.

Click to expand...

Somehow I doubt the accuracy of this...especially since the restoration work cost $11 million itself a few years ago.

Building a completely custom main house, plus guest house, designed by a superstar architect (including all custom furniture by said superstar) on a remote, difficult site today is going to set you back more than a couple of million dollars I would think, even taking into consideration much easier engineering capabilities of today.

Mind you, most people forking out a few million for their McMansion want more than 2800 sqft of living space. We seem to want more space these days, at the cheapest cost per square foot, rather than the opposite. And that's the problem.

Originally Posted by freshcutgrass

Click to expand...

Somehow I doubt the accuracy of this...especially since the restoration work cost $11 million itself a few years ago.

Building a completely custom main house, plus guest house, designed by a superstar architect (including all custom furniture by said superstar) on a remote, difficult site today is going to set you back more than a couple of million dollars I would think, even taking into consideration much easier engineering capabilities of today.

Mind you, most people forking out a few million for their McMansion want more than 2800 sqft of living space. We seem to want more space these days, at the cheapest cost per square foot, rather than the opposite. And that's the problem.

Came from this USA today article:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/desti...ght-home_N.htm

$155,000 in 1937.

As a side note, I have got quite the affinity for Wright works as I grew up spending a lot of time in David Henken's Usonia community. I think this gave me a hate of McMansions straight out of the womb.

Originally Posted by freshcutgrass

Click to expand...

Somehow I doubt the accuracy of this...especially since the restoration work cost $11 million itself a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Reborn

Click to expand...

Came from this USA today article:

USA Today probably just used the CPI. Not a good measure for comparing something so specific as this. Construction costs were through the roof the last few years--probably much higher inflation than in general (for starters); the number of skilled craftsman that can build such a house is much smaller these days (also driving up price; etc.

Imagine how much it would cost to duplicate a Horta or Gaudi house these days. Especially a Horta house filled with intricate wrought-iron (sp?) work and Tiffany stained glass.

b

USA Today probably just used the CPI. Not a good measure for comparing something so specific as this. Construction costs were through the roof the last few years--probably much higher inflation than in general (for starters); the number of skilled craftsman that can build such a house is much smaller these days (also driving up price; etc.

Click to expand...

Not only that, but if Wright only got paid 8 grand, that represents only 0.5% of the construction costs. Nowadays, 10% or more is normal for single family custom homes, and superstar architects generally charge way more. Could you imagine what it would cost to have say...Frank Gehry design a home for you, plus custom design all the interior spaces and furniture?

Also, the difference in complying with building/safety codes these days adds large costs that probably didn't even exist back then.

Originally Posted by freshcutgrass

Click to expand...

Not only that, but if Wright only got paid 8 grand, that represents only 0.5% of the construction costs. Nowadays, 10% or more is normal for single family custom homes, and superstar architects generally charge way more. Could you imagine what it would cost to have say...Frank Gehry design a home for you, plus custom design all the interior spaces and furniture?

Through the roof, so to speak. But a question (your excellent point aside): did FLW do anything other than houses? And has Gehry ever done a house?


b

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Click to expand...

did FLW do anything other than houses?
Yes.

I wish I could have seen the Imperial Hotel.

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Click to expand...

Through the roof, so to speak. But a question (your excellent point aside): did FLW do anything other than houses? And has Gehry ever done a house?


b

FLW did quite a bit of work outside of homes but much of it was torn down.

His most famous is The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum which is still standing in NYC.

Notable, but never built: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Illinois

S. C. Johnson and Son (Johnson Wax) admin building in Racine, WI.

Another amazing building that was never built is the Isaac Newton Cenotaph designed by Étienne-Louis Boullà e in 1784.

Wright designed a good deal of furniture--much of it for the custom homes he did--and office furnishings. He also designed his own, rather flamboyant clothing. Personally, I like his Mayan Revival stuff the best.

Boullee, Ledoux and all those 18th century visionary architects are great.

Originally Posted by Reborn

Click to expand...

His most famous is The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum which is still standing in NYC.

Originally Posted by robin

Click to expand...

Notable, but never built: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Illinois

Oh duh. I should have known that. But I always forget he did the Guggenheim.

b

Vader House by Andrew Maynard, located in Melbourne: