PrairieMod

Gropius, Why So Glum?

Well, you'd be a little blue too if the only buildings you helped design in Chicago were being torn down so swiftly and savagely. Shame on you City of Chicago. Shame on you. Read about the latest Michael Reese Hospital demolition news here.

Image via Wikipedia

Movie Review: "Visual Acoustics"

Here's a link to a review by Phil Kennicott of the Washington Post on the new documentary "Visual Acoustics" all about architectural photography icon, Julius Shulman. A few members of the PrairieMod Squad saw it during the Chicago Film festival and said it totally rocks! Read Kennicott's review here.

Image via juliusshulmanfilm.com

Visit Beth Sholom

Touring Frank Lloyd Wright's Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA wasn't always easy. Luckily, 50 years after its dedication, you can now tour the building three days a week. Read more about it here and start planning your trip!

Mibo's 2010 Calendar Download Now Available

Mibo Lighting & Housewares is offering a free download of their pretty 2010 year-at-a-glance calendar. Also available (for $4) is the equally beautiful month-per-page version. Peruse the rest of the site - the Christmas Creatures are particularly fun!

Image copyright Mibo

Burnham Street Update

Mark Hertzberg's blog, Wright in Racine, just posted an update with tons of photos about the restoration of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed American System-Built house on Burnham St. in Milwaukee, WI. Read and see more here.

Image copyright Mark Hertzberg

The "Fixer-Upper"

PrairieMod reader Eric S. sent me this humorous (if not sadly true) cartoon from marriedtothesea.com about the American mentality towards our residences.

Image copyright Married To The Sea

Dutch Delight

Check out this very cool Mod-flavored house close to the city of Utrect, designed by the Dutch architects of Architectuurbureau Sluijmer en van Leeuwen. It's like Streamlined Moderne meets Usonian flair! See more here.

Definitely Not Victorian

I recently received the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust's membership e-news, which had an interesting piece on the Wright-designed Frank Thomas House (Oak Park, IL) that I thought PrairieMod readers would enjoy. Read more after the jump...

A Conversation with the Critics

Looking to rub elbows with Chicago's top architectural critics? Then plan on attending Thursday's Chicago Architectural Foundation's event titled "A Conversation with the Critics: Imagining the Future of the City." More info after the jump...

Your Chance To Tour The Coonley Estate

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is hosting the rare opportunity to tour the Avery Coonley Estate (including the Main House, Coach House, Gardener's Cottage and William Drummond-designed home "Thorncroft") on December 5th. Tickets are $150 dollars for this Prairie-dream tour and they will go fast--so get yours quick! Follow the link for more details.

Image via Wikipedia

Researching The Tower

Monday night, a couple of PrairieMod Squad members made the short trip to Racine, Wisconsin to hear photographer and author, Mark Hertzberg deliver a lecture to the organization, Preservation Racine, on the S.C. Johnson Wax Company Research Tower. Read more after the jump...

Great Workroom Meets A Great Dining Room

A couple of PrairieMod Squad members were passing through Racine, Wisconsin recently and stopped-off at the local Chipotle for dinner. We smiled when we noticed that the interior of the dining room looked like it took some inspiration from Racine's iconic S.C. Johnson Wax Administration Building Workroom, complete with stylized interpretations of the J-Wax building's "dendriform" columns. The next time you're hungry and in Racine, check it out!

top image via Wikipedia/bottom Image copyright PrairieMod

New and Natural

A PrairieMod reader sent us a link to contemporary done right. The N85 Residence, designed by the Morphogenesis architectural design firm, is a model of how to utilize the warmth and integrity of natural materials for a modern-day interior. Check out more here.

Image copyright Morphogenesis

Own A Usonian

Here's an original Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home that is within reach of owning. The Ward and Helen McCartney Residence in Kalamazoo, Michigan is for sale for $279,000. Check out the listing and photos here.

Image via MLS.com

Most Popular: Week of 10/26/09

In case you missed them, these were our reader's favorite posts from the week of 10/26/09:

1. Laurent House As A Museum
2. Animated Pick-Me-Up
3. A Shipwreck In The Forest
4. A Trip To "Cedar Rock"
5. Joe's Tiny "Usonian"

Stumble Upon: Wright Oak Park Studio Photo

Searching the internet often yields some surprising results. Case in point: This fantastic historic photo of Frank Lloyd Wright's Oak Park Studio showing an early configuration of its loggia entrance. The photo was part of a blog post on Steelcase, Johnson Wax and Wright on the weblog "Beach House". Check it out here.

Image via Beach House

Honeycomb House Memories

Here's a link to an article of recollections with photos all about the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Hanna "Honeycomb" House. Read and see more here.

Image copyright Linda A. Cicero

Wright on Wright

Gwendolyn Wright (often seen on PBS's History Detectives show) will be giving a lecture tonight at 7PM at the Sheldon Museum of Art's Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium at 12th and R sts. on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln city campus. Wright's lecture, is titled "Frank Lloyd Wright's Progressive Suburbia." Read more after the jump...

Wolff House Images

Here's a link to some great interior shots of John Lautner's 1961 Wolff House, currently for sale at an eye-popping $5.9 million. See more here.

City Cut-Ups

What do you get with an X-acto knife and a lot of patience? Some pretty cool map artwork! Check out North Carolina-based artist Karen O'Leary's map-cuts of New York and Paris here.

Image copyright Studio K