Attend the 41st annual Wright Plus, an internationally renowned architectural housewalk featuring rare interior tours of private homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries, plus entry to landmark Wright buildings. Celebrate architecture, design, Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative vision and the talents of his fellow architects in historic Oak Park and Riverside, Illinois. Experience extraordinary living spaces and share an enjoyable day with visitors from around the world.
The homes featured include Avery Coonley Residence (1908), Coonley Stables (1911), Oscar B. Balch House (1911), Ernest Hemingway Boyhood Home (1906), Thorncroft Residence (1912), Rothermel-Herron House (1888), and Paul Blatchford House I (1887). Also on the tour: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio, Unity Temple and Frederick C. Robie House
The Friday and Sunday Excursions, each including a gourmet lunch, expand the Wright Plus experience on the days before and after the Housewalk – Friday, May 15 and Sunday, May 17. The excursions include a tour of the B. Harley Bradley House and a tour of the S.C. Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower and the Herbert Fisk Johnson family’s Wingspread residence. Includes morning coffee and snacks, an elegant lunch, an afternoon visit to a local site of architectural interest and luxury motorcoach transportation. Space is limited. On Friday, visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Prairie style design built in 1900 – the B. Harley Bradley House in Kankakee, Illinois. It features a cruciform plan, extended overhangs and stunning art glass, which combine to create an integrated work of art. Enjoy an in-depth tour of this beautifully restored house that only recently opened to the public. The Bradley House is situated on the Kankakee River, about 60 miles south of Chicago. On Sunday, Tour the landmark S.C. Johnson Administration Building and see innovative furniture and workspaces designed by Wright. Constructed of brick and Pyrex glass tubing in 1936, the Administration Building features dramatic columns resembling lily pads. The excursion will include a visit to Wright’s neighboring Research Tower (1944), which opened for the first time to the public in 2014, and a visit to Wright’s 14,000-square-foot Wingspread residence set on 30 acres and designed for the Herbert Fisk Johnson Family (1938-39).
Wrap-up your Wright Plus experience at Unity Temple with a lively evening concert by Chicago’s premier gypsy-jazz band, Swing Gitan. The group plays foot-tapping music on acoustic instruments in the style of 1930s guitarist Django Reinhardt. It’s a blend of the jubilant swing of early jazz and the feisty passion of gypsy music, with a strong dose of guitar pyrotechnics and virtuosic improvisation. Alfonso Ponticelli and Chicago’s premier gypsy-jazz band, Swing Gitan, will perform on Saturday at Unity Temple (875 Lake St., Oak Park, Ill.) hosted by Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. Please note there is an additional cost to attend.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust is a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization that renews the vision of Frank Lloyd Wright through programs and educational initiatives about architecture, design and culture to perpetuate Wright’s all-inclusive artistic vision and belief in the integrity of the natural and built environment. The Trust conducts ongoing historic preservation and operates public tours, programs and events at major Wright sites, including his Home and Studio (1889/1898) in Oak Park, a Chicago suburban community; The Rookery Light Court (1905-07) in downtown Chicago; Unity Temple (1905-08) in Oak Park; the Frederick C. Robie House (1908-10) in Chicago’s Hyde Park; and the Emil Bach House (1915) in Chicago’s Rogers Park. The mission of the Trust is to engage, educate and inspire the public through architecture, design and the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright, and to preserve the Trust’s historic sites and collections.
