[Info-vax] Completely OT: Frank Lloyd Wright

[Dirk Munk]

David Froble wrote:
> Dirk Munk wrote:
>> Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>>> On 10/6/2012 6:58 PM, Dirk Munk wrote:
>>>> Yesterday there was a news item on Dutch TV news (all day long!) that a
>>>> project developer in Phoenix wants to demolish a house designed and
>>>> build by Frank Lloyd Wright. He built this house in 1952 for his son
>>>> David. As you will know (I hope) Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the
>>>> gratest architects that ever lived, not only in the U.S., but anywhere.
>>>> I'm a very big fan of his work, and it is incomprehensible to me
>>>> that it
>>>> would be allowed to demolish any building designed by him, let alone
>>>> this house that is regarded to be one of his ten best designs. In
>>>> Europe
>>>> this would be a listed building and you couldn't even point your finger
>>>> at it without permission. Will you please help to stop this act of
>>>> cultural barbarism and sign the petition on this website?
>>>>
>>>> http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-phoenix-save-the-david-and-gladys-wright-house
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> If you really want to preserve this house, buy it and the land it stands
>>> on!
>>
>> On this side of the big pond we have laws to protect important monuments.
>>
>>>
>>> If you look deeply enough, you just might find that there are good
>>> reasons for wanting to demolish the house!
>>>
>>  Like what please?
>>
>
> Any decent Architect works for a living, doing many assignments,
> possibly more than one at a time.  I haven't bothered to research the
> specifics, but I can guess that FLW designed many structures.

Yes he did, from industrially produced kit houses to factories, houses 
for the very rich and the Guggenheim museum.

> It's also
> a good guess that not all were of the caliber that earned him his
> recognition.  Some could even be rather sub-standard.

No, not to my knowledge. He did not like to make compromises in his 
designs. All of his work has been documented, so you can check for yourself.

> To now declare
> every design he did an important work of art is rather ridiculous.
>

Only if you assume he made designs that are sub-standard or can not be 
distinguished from those from other architects.

> On the other hand, to a developer money isn't everything, it's the only
> thing.

Indeed. Restoring this house to its former glory, making sympathetic 
improvements to modernize it, and you might have a house that is very 
attractive to buyers with a sense for architecture and culture, and who 
are willing to pay a bonus for that.