Frank Lloyd Wright and the Johnson Wax Buildings

Thoroughly researched study of the design and construction of this radical, inspiring workplace draws on much unpublished archival material. From the genesis of the structurally unique Administration Building — its design development, innovations, and furnishings — to the construction and completion of the Research Towers, Lipman presents a wealth of information. 172 black-and-white illustrations.

A well-ordered documentation of the history of these buildings, considered among Wright's masterpieces. Much of the material has never been published.

Consisting of a combined administration building and research tower (built ten years apart), a paradigmatic example of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture sits at the Johnson Wax company's site in Racine Wisconsin. Lauding the buildings as a unified piece from the open-aired Great Workroom down to the design of the desks, this text describes the commissioning, development, and construction of the buildings, all the while commenting on their architectural innovations. Some 172 black-and- white illustrations (photographs, sketches, and blueprints) are included. This is a paperbound reprint of a 1986 work. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Library Journal

A thorough and sympathetic review of the genesis and design of one of the great buildings of 20th-century architecture. Herbert Johnson, the client, and Wright, the architect, together created a group of buildings that are still extraordinary 50 years after they were begun in Racine, Wisconsin. Lipman, an architect himself, draws on much unpublished archival material to expose the workings of the design process in detail. He writes well, and the book is well-composed and designed, with excellent illustrations and specially drawn plans. For all architectural history and architecture collections. Jack Perry Brown, Ry er son & Burnham Libs., Art Inst . of Chicago