The Wright Stuff: Chicago Cultural Center Features Early Frank Lloyd Wright Works
By Marielle Shaw in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 17, 2014 10:50PM
Let’s face it, Chicago is a great city to be an architecture lover in. Whether it’s the Carbon and Carbide, the Tribune Tower, the Rookery or the red brick and ruins of Pullman, there’s always something amazing just around the corner. We are now and have been the showpiece for many masterworks of architecture, and it’s one of our personal favorite things about Chicago. The roster of greats ranges from Burnham and Root, Roche, Van der Rohe and Sullivan to one of the most celebrated; Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Chicago Cultural Center has a free exhibit running now through mid-March that explores “Wright Before the Lloyd” that we can not recommend highly enough. The exhibition gets its name from an interesting tidbit: In earlier works, the architect did not include the “Lloyd,” simply signing things Frank L. Wright. This is a look at Wright as a young architect in the 1890s, and his early influences, some of which may surprise you. It’s less Falling Water and more an origin story, and if you admire his work, seeing where it began and what shaped him is a must. This is a look at early and less discussed projects and speaks more to his evolution than his portfolio. And in case we buried the lead, it’s free.
You can see “Wright Before the Lloyd” any day of the week. Hours are listed here. Take a trip out and take time to admire—the Cultural Center itself is a work of art, and any architecture nerds are sure to enjoy the exhibition while it’s here.