There are over one thousand UNESCO World Heritage Sites across planet earth. There are sites like the Forbidden City in China, which receives over 14 million visitors a year, and small sites such as the Genbaku Dome, which signifies world peace and was created by the first atom bomb explosion in Hiroshima, Japan. Of the thousand sites, only 24 of them are in the United States. Places like the Grand Canyon and the Great Smoky Mountains are represented, as are places of cultural significance such as the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois and University of Virginia.
The most recent site to be inscribed in the USA is The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. It isn't just one sight, but eight different ones that span the entire United States. "The collection represents the first modern architecture designation in the country on the prestigious list," says Jan Cracamonte of J. Lauren PR. Of all the beauty and grandeur in the USA, both cultural and natural, why would the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright be recognized?
A lot of it has to do with the 15 year effort of organizations that help to keep the spirit of Wright's work alive. It was spearheaded by the Frank Lloyd Wright Conservancy, along with guidance from the National Park Service. The UNESCO committee inscribed the sites as it met the criteria of what makes a world heritage site, something that provides "Outstanding Universal Value." According to the press release, it meets this criterion in three ways. "First, it is architecture responsive to functional and emotional needs, achieved through geometric abstraction and spatial manipulation. Second, the design of the buildings in this series is fundamentally rooted in nature’s forms and principles. Third, the series represents an architecture conceived to be responsive to the evolving American experience, but which is universal in its appeal."
One of the World Heritage Sites- Taliesin in the West [Photo/Jill Richardsion]
“It is an immense honor to have Frank Lloyd Wright’s work recognized on the world stage among the most vital and important cultural sites on Earth like the Taj Mahal in India, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Statue of Liberty in New York,” said Stuart Graff, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
So where are the sites? There are a couple in the Northeast, a couple in the Midwest and a couple in the West. Here is a brief overview:
Northeast
In the Northeast, there is the Guggenheim Museum in New York and Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. Frank Lloyd Wright himself said: “The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is all one thing, all an integral, not part upon part. This is the principle I’ve always worked toward.” The museum is famous for its spirals and beautiful atrium at the top. Wright said, "These geometric forms suggest certain human ideas, moods, sentiments – as for instance: the circle, infinity; the triangle, structural unity; the spiral, organic progress; the square, integrity." Fallingwater is an instantly recognizable work of Wrights from 1937. The house blends into nature perfectly and is built on top of an active waterfall, hence the name. It can be toured March 9th through December 31st.
Midwest
Frank Lloyd Wright was from Oak Park, Illinois, outside Chicago. Much of his work can be viewed throughout this area. There are four places on the World Heritage Site list in the Midwest: The Unity Temple in Oak Park; the Frederick C. Robie House on the southside of Chicago; Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin; and Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House in Madison, Wisconsin. The Unity Temple, built between 1905 and 1908, is considered to be the first modern building in the world. It is the 6th most significant building in the United States according to Architectural Record. The Robie House in Hyde Park, Chicago, is close to the University of Chicago and represents Wright's "Prairie Style" homes. Taliesan was the midwestern home of Frank Lloyd Wright located in the driftless region of Wisconsin, a place of rolling hills and beauty, and is available for tours. The Jacobs House is unique in that it is a modest house meant for the middle class. Unfortunately, it is a private residence, though it is viewable from the outside.
West
Two properties in the West were recognized by UNESCO: Taliesin West in Scottsdale and Hollyhock House in Hollywood, California. The Hollyhock House was a commissioned house built from 1919 to 1921. It was originally conceived as an arts complex, however it never reached its full glory and was eventually given to the City of Los Angeles, who still owns it and operates tours. Taliesin West was Wright's winter home in the desert, and it now provides tours for all. According to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, "It was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it among the most personal of the architect’s creations."
The UNESCO World Heritage Sites throughout the world are special and worth a visit anytime you are close to one, especially the US since there are only 24. The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright can be seen basically anywhere in the country and provides a place to reflect on the significant contribution the brilliant architect gave to the United States and the rest of the world.