Distinctions & AppointmentsSeptember 20, 2019
20th century architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright added to UNESCO World Heritage list
On the 43th session of the World Heritage Committee held from June 30th to July 10th in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, eight buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright have been designated UNESCO world heritage sites, marking the first time the organization has recognized American modernist architecture as one of great influence to the rest of the world.
The committee draft Part 2 noted (…) “the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright focuses upon the influence that the work of this architect had, not only in his country, the United States of America, but more importantly, on architecture of the 20th century and upon the recognized masters of the Modern Movement in architecture in Europe. The qualities of what is known as ‘Organic Architecture’ developed by Wright, including the open plan, the blurring between exterior and interior, the new uses of materials and technologies and the explicit responses to the suburban and natural settings of the various buildings, have been acknowledged as pivotal in the development of modern architectural design in the 20th century. The property includes a series of eight buildings designed and built over the first half of the 20th century; each component has specific characteristics, representing new solutions to the needs for housing, worship, work, education and leisure (…) These innovative ideas and the resulting unified architectural works were noted in European architectural and critical circles early in the century and influenced several of the trends and architects of the European Modern Movement in architecture. Wright’s influence is also noticeable in the work of some architects in Latin America, Australia and Japan. (…) “
Established in 1978, UNESCO World Heritage List was created to identify and protect cultural and natural heritage around the world. In order to be nominated on the list, sites have to be of “outstanding universal value” and meet one of ten selection criteria, which include representing a “masterpiece of human creative genius” and exhibiting “important cultural exchanges of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world.”
The committee draft Part 2 noted (…) “the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright focuses upon the influence that the work of this architect had, not only in his country, the United States of America, but more importantly, on architecture of the 20th century and upon the recognized masters of the Modern Movement in architecture in Europe. The qualities of what is known as ‘Organic Architecture’ developed by Wright, including the open plan, the blurring between exterior and interior, the new uses of materials and technologies and the explicit responses to the suburban and natural settings of the various buildings, have been acknowledged as pivotal in the development of modern architectural design in the 20th century. The property includes a series of eight buildings designed and built over the first half of the 20th century; each component has specific characteristics, representing new solutions to the needs for housing, worship, work, education and leisure (…) These innovative ideas and the resulting unified architectural works were noted in European architectural and critical circles early in the century and influenced several of the trends and architects of the European Modern Movement in architecture. Wright’s influence is also noticeable in the work of some architects in Latin America, Australia and Japan. (…) “
Established in 1978, UNESCO World Heritage List was created to identify and protect cultural and natural heritage around the world. In order to be nominated on the list, sites have to be of “outstanding universal value” and meet one of ten selection criteria, which include representing a “masterpiece of human creative genius” and exhibiting “important cultural exchanges of human values over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world.”
