The Exterior

 

Edgar Kaufman, Sr., a Pennsylvania department store magnate, and his wife, Liliane, owned a large, remote tract of land southeast of Pittsburgh.  They loved the area, especially the waterfall in the Bear Run tributary that ran through their property, and decided to construct a family retreat at the site.  Their son, Edgar Jr., brought Frank Lloyd Wright to their attention as a potential architect for the project.  Wright first visited Bear Run in 1934.  Within a year he had sketched out the first designs for Fallingwater, which the family enthusiastically approved. Construction took 5 years.

The Fallingwater estate is accessed by crossing a small bridge spanning the stream that flows under the house and drops away into a waterfall. 

 

Click anywhere on a picture to enlarge it.

The main house is built on three levels.

The guest house and servants quarters are built above and separate from the main structure. The two are connected by a walkway that connects the 2nd floor of the main structure to a parking deck adjacent to the guest house. An uncovered walkway spans the driveway, which traverses the rear of the main building and leads to the parking deck.

Approaching the bridge, the 1st and 2nd floor terraces become visible.

This photo was taken from the bridge looking directly onto the 1st floor terrace.

Also visible is the stairway leading from the living room on the 1st floor to the streambed.

Wright sought to make the landscape a part of his buildings, and his buildings a part of the landscape.

Here he has designed a stairway descending to the water below the house. This adds visual and tactile drama to his design.

The corner of the stairway to the streambed is just visible on the far left of the picture.

The small statue is an example of the Kaufmans' extensive art collection at Fallingwater.

Note the masonry work of the limestone base of the building. The stone is laid unevenly on the horizontal which simultaneously evokes the image of a natural outcropping of stone while mirroring the bold horizontal planes of the terraces. This stonework motif is used throughout the residence. The limestone used to build Fallingwater was quarried on the estate.

The driveway traverses the base of the main building.

This view shows the windows that Wright designed specifically for Fallingwater. The color is also a design element developed by Wright: his signature color -- Cherokee Red.

The liberal use of windows is a constant in Wright designs. Natural light was used as a counterpoint to the stone and woods he commonly used for construction, and as a way to visually incorporate nature into his buildings.

This view shows the window tower set into the vertical stone of the building. It spans three floors and gives one the impression of suspension in space when viewed from the interior.

The 3rd floor was designed exclusively for the Kaufman's son, Edgar Jr.

Architecture was his passion and he was an admirer of Wright's work. He promoted Wright for the commission when his parents decided to build a country retreat.

In addition to a beautifully appointed bedroom and bath, a small drafting studio is included in the space.

A huge living room and attached terrace dominate the 1st floor of the house which also has a small kitchen.

On the 2nd floor is the library, the hallway leading to the walkway connecting the parking deck and guest house, and master bedroom suite with attached terrace.

The 3rd floor was private quarters for the Kaufman's son.

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