09/09/04

Take a walk through the residence of Chicago's famous, groundbreaking architect.

by Contributor

The Background
The inventor of Prairie Style architecture, Wright was also one of the first architects to incorporate electric lighting within the home. For the sake of aesthetics, he contained electric wiring by covering it with a screen of rice paper. He preferred earth tones, as reflected in the natural wood and green tones of his own home.

The Experience
In the living room, sofas sit underneath bay windows, which are built into the wall, creating an illusion of light and roominess. Each room seems to flow into the next. Home and studio tours are several times a day, and on weekends every 20 minutes, from 11am to 3:30pm. Guided walking tours of homes in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District take place weekends from March to November and December to February. All tours start at the Gingko Tree Bookshop, 951 Chicago Ave. in Oak Park.