A collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings will be nominated by the U.S. to the United Nations for inclusion on the World Heritage List, a prestigious honor that recognizes the most significant cultural and natural treasures in the world, places such as the Taj Mahal and the pyramids at Giza.
If the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, selects the Wright structures for inclusion, it would be the first time a modern building from the U.S. was chosen, the Department of the Interior announced Thursday.
There are 936 World Heritage sites in 153 countries, though only 21 exist in the U.S. In order to be included on the list, sites must meet rigorous criteria, including National Landmark status and a systematic plan for the maintenance and upkeep of the site. Other U.S. landmarks on the list include the Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall.
“The buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright are a testament to one of the world’s foremost architectural geniuses,” stated Ken Salazar, secretary of the Interior, who made the announcement. “They deserve to be recognized as World Heritage sites.”
A taskforce of scholars reviewed approximately 400 existing Wright buildings to select those that best represent outstanding, universal value and a lasting contribution to architecture. Four of the buildings selected for the group nomination are in Wisconsin. They are Taliesin, near Spring Green; the S.C. Johnson and Son. Inc. Administration Building and Research Tower in Racine; and the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, in Madison.
The remaining buildings include Unity Temple in Oak Park, Ill; the Frederick C. Robie House, in Chicago; Hollyhock (Barnsdall) House in Los Angeles; Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania; Taliesin West, in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, Calif.
“Each of the Wright buildings represents a separate and outstanding creative contribution to modern architecture and to the history of architecture as a whole,” stated Neil Levine, an architectural historian from Harvard, Wright scholar and member of the selection taskforce. “Each is given a powerful symbolic form directly expressive of the institution it houses, be it the family, the workplace, the place of worship or a cultural or civic activity.”
Along with the Wright nomination, the prehistoric earthworks site of Poverty Point in Louisiana was named as the next prospective U.S. nomination. The U.S. may nominate two sites per year.
During the coming months, the Chicago-based Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy will develop extensive documentation, consulting with the Office of International Affairs of the National Park Service, the principal government agency responsible for implementing U.S. participation in the World Heritage Convention.
After the formal application is filed, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee could decide in June 2013 or June 2014 to admit the Wright buildings to the international list.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and S.C. Johnson and Son Inc. also announced Thursday a long-term agreement for the company to display a collection of Wright artifacts that highlight the famed architect's influence on families and the home.
The company will begin exhibiting a collection of Wright objects, including drawings, models, furniture, fixtures, photos and personal effects in the spring of next year. The exhibit will be fee, open to the public and on view in Fortaleza Hall, a recent addition to the company's campus, designed by world-renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners. A Frank Lloyd Wright library and reading room already exists in the hall.
If the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, selects the Wright structures for inclusion, it would be the first time a modern building from the U.S. was chosen, the Department of the Interior announced Thursday.
There are 936 World Heritage sites in 153 countries, though only 21 exist in the U.S. In order to be included on the list, sites must meet rigorous criteria, including National Landmark status and a systematic plan for the maintenance and upkeep of the site. Other U.S. landmarks on the list include the Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall.
“The buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright are a testament to one of the world’s foremost architectural geniuses,” stated Ken Salazar, secretary of the Interior, who made the announcement. “They deserve to be recognized as World Heritage sites.”
A taskforce of scholars reviewed approximately 400 existing Wright buildings to select those that best represent outstanding, universal value and a lasting contribution to architecture. Four of the buildings selected for the group nomination are in Wisconsin. They are Taliesin, near Spring Green; the S.C. Johnson and Son. Inc. Administration Building and Research Tower in Racine; and the Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, in Madison.
The remaining buildings include Unity Temple in Oak Park, Ill; the Frederick C. Robie House, in Chicago; Hollyhock (Barnsdall) House in Los Angeles; Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania; Taliesin West, in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, Calif.
“Each of the Wright buildings represents a separate and outstanding creative contribution to modern architecture and to the history of architecture as a whole,” stated Neil Levine, an architectural historian from Harvard, Wright scholar and member of the selection taskforce. “Each is given a powerful symbolic form directly expressive of the institution it houses, be it the family, the workplace, the place of worship or a cultural or civic activity.”
Along with the Wright nomination, the prehistoric earthworks site of Poverty Point in Louisiana was named as the next prospective U.S. nomination. The U.S. may nominate two sites per year.
During the coming months, the Chicago-based Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy will develop extensive documentation, consulting with the Office of International Affairs of the National Park Service, the principal government agency responsible for implementing U.S. participation in the World Heritage Convention.
After the formal application is filed, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee could decide in June 2013 or June 2014 to admit the Wright buildings to the international list.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and S.C. Johnson and Son Inc. also announced Thursday a long-term agreement for the company to display a collection of Wright artifacts that highlight the famed architect's influence on families and the home.
The company will begin exhibiting a collection of Wright objects, including drawings, models, furniture, fixtures, photos and personal effects in the spring of next year. The exhibit will be fee, open to the public and on view in Fortaleza Hall, a recent addition to the company's campus, designed by world-renowned architectural firm Foster + Partners. A Frank Lloyd Wright library and reading room already exists in the hall.
