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Facts About Fallingwater That The Public Doesn't Know
By ELISHA BABA
Wright's Comeback
Critics thought Frank Lloyd Wright's career was over as he aged and developments were reduced due to the Great Depression. However, his career was revitalized after designing and building Fallingwater as Edgar J. Kaufmann's weekend retreat, and he went on to do many more projects.
Inspired By Nature
The interior of the house makes it feel like one is outside in nature with sandstone walls and floors and a fireplace that includes a rock extension. All the bedrooms have porches and windows that open externally, while the main level’s flooring has a glass hatchway that opens to a staircase leading to the stream below.
Structural Problems
Due to the waterfall, Fallingwater suffers from mold growth, and the garden’s need for extra support has created slumping beams on the main floor. The repairs will involve installing cables underneath cracking concrete beams and replacing the unpleasant scaffolding framework which would be an estimated $11.5 million.
The Sketch
Although Wright had been commissioned a year prior to the start of Fallingwater’s construction, he didn’t do anything during that time except an area survey of Mill Run, Pennsylvania. When he got word that Kaufmann was making a surprise visit, Wright calmly made the sketch and was ready to show it to him in two hours.
Exterior Plans
Initially, Wright wanted the outside of Fallingwater to have a white mica finish and concrete beams layered in gold leaf. The Kaufmanns rejected those ideas as they wanted something less extravagant, so the two colors used were light ochre and Cherokee red — Wright's signature color in many of his designs.