Exquisite Laconism in Stained-glass Windows by Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Category: Ideas & Inspiration
  • Practices: Glassware

Frank Lloyd Wright was not only a brilliant architect, but also an outstanding glass artist.

In his opinion any building is a single organism, its space grows freely and is inextricably linked with the nature that surrounds it. Stained-glass windows became the link between space and architecture. Wright claimed that every detail of the interior was as important as any element of the building, because it was a single unit. Stained glass decorated windows and doors, it was used to create exquisite chandeliers and lamps. He skillfully inserted stained glass in the interior, everything was designed in the same style and by a certain system.

The architect paid great attention to the thickness of the joints and even to window sashes, everything was subordinated to the intent of the author. His stained glass is based on geometry, but if you look closely, you'll notice in this geometry a lot of details, a stained glass window seems to be growing out of small elements. Wright used the scale technique — the element of the same form is found in stained glass windows of different sizes. For example, in the photo below you will see a lot of triangles and rhombuses of different sizes:

According to Frank Lloyd Wright, the simpler it looks, the more aesthetics and beauty the architecture of the building has. Laconism is the main creative principle of Wright. His contemporaries criticized him and even accused of being the architect who simply didn't want to decorate his projects. But it did not change Wright's views on the need for simplicity in architectural solutions. His style definitely grew from the aesthetic views of the Art Nouveau era, but we can confidently assert that there is a style of Frank Lloyd Wright. He has inspired generations of artists and architects.