Fallingwater

To commemorate the 75th year of Fallingwater House, Waggoner, the director of this house by Frank Lloyd Wright, has masterminded this impressive tribute. Arrayed in splendid photographs by Little, Fallingwater is presented as a series of journeys and meditations by seven contributors. These commence with Waggoner's own "Director's Tour," which takes the form of descriptive captions that accompany 150 images (often double-page-width) by Little. But this is more than a picture book. David De Long follows with tantalizing insights into Edgar and Liliane Kaufmanns' personal lives from some 2,000 letters yet to be fully catalogued. Neil Levine considers Fallingwater phenomenologically with special concern for the senses of sound and time in the experience of the house. Justin Gunther examines Fallingwater's interiors with the eye of a decorative arts specialist. John Reynolds evokes Heidegger, opposes Fallingwater to houses by Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, and sees Fallingwater as an early model of sustainable design. Robert Silman provides a thrilling account of saving Fallingwater from almost certain disaster, and Rick Darke pays eloquent homage to the surrounding forest landscape. Concluding are essays commissioned from each of the Kaufmanns by the Museum of Modern Art in 1940. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J. Quinan University at Buffalo, SUNY

Conceptualized in 1935 as a weekend home for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann, Fallingwater is arguably one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most iconic creations. This impressive volume celebrates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the seminal structure, including renovations undergone in order to preserve the infamous territory. Waggoner, vice president of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and director of Fallingwater, along with photographer Christopher Little, begin with a tour of the property, leading down the long, wooded lane before turning a bend where the house first appears through the trees. Readers are gently guided through the house, with many rooms shot from multiple angles adding to a sense of scale. Vignettes and images of the structure through the seasons remind readers that this was a home before it became an architectural landmark. The latter half of the book is dedicated to the story of the Kaufmanns and their relationship with Wright; essays on the home's interior design elements and landscaping give readers an even greater appreciation for Wright's accomplishment and vision. Both informative and aesthetically pleasing, this definitive work will be well appreciated, whether it sits on a shelf or a coffee table. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.