Dominos collection open for visitors

[peterm]

Maybe that was just the norm. There are at least four incarnations of Lamberson.

[SDR]

Oh, yes, it seems to have been the norm. Many many of the projects (I use the term for all designs, built or unbuilt, here) exist in multiple versions, presented (typically) without differentiation as to their chronology, by Mr Wright's most prominent editor, in the Monographs and the Taschen volumes, for instance.

It's the differences between versions of a single project which have the potential to teach us something about Wright's way of designing, and about the motivation to revise -- if we but knew in any given case which were the earlier drawings, and if we had some information about what drove the changes. We might assume but we don't know (I believe), whether the file numbers for individual sheets are arranged chronologically -- for a start.

I believe that W A Storrer has provided, on the whole, more information about the changes to Wright designs, and their causes, both before and after they left the boards and were constructed, than we have from any other source. I'd be interested to know if this is not the case . . .

Here is the sole information I find, in a volume of the Monographs, about the Taliesin file numbers. I don't find even this much on the subject, in the more recently published Taschen volumes.

[jmcnally]

(Good thing that photos were permitted at Dominos ? When were those photos taken, JM ?)

Last week

Stan - you are right about Mary

The exhibit remains open to the public during normal business hours through August (the press release limited it to June). Photography is permitted.

[SDR]

Thanks. I'll have to depend on the kindness of strangers (or friends) to nab those rare sightings, stuff that will not see the light of day again for . . . who knows how long ?

I'll gladly post whatever I'm asked to . . .

S

[SREcklund]

Oh, yes, it seems to have been the norm. Many many of the projects (I use the term for all designs, built or unbuilt, here) exist in multiple versions, presented (typically) without differentiation as to their chronology, by Mr Wright's most prominent editor, in the Monographs and the Taschen volumes, for instance.

It's the differences between versions of a single project which have the potential to teach us something about Wright's way of designing, and about the motivation to revise -- if we but knew in any given case which were the earlier drawings, and if we had some information about what drove the changes. We might assume but we don't know (I believe), whether the file numbers for individual sheets are arranged chronologically -- for a start.

I believe that W A Storrer has provided, on the whole, more information about the changes to Wright designs, and their causes, both before and after they left the boards and were constructed, than we have from any other source. I'd be interested to know if this is not the case . . .

Here is the sole information I find, in a volume of the Monographs, about the Taliesin file numbers. I don't find even this much on the subject, in the more recently published Taschen volumes.

I ws very excited to see BBP had included his "chronology" in the Monographs ... until I realized the listings in each year were pretty much alphabetical. Back to the drawing boards ...

[Roderick Grant]

A tome could be written about the changes to Barnsdall, not just what was done and why, but by whom. RMS's fingerprints are all over many of the drawings.

[DavidC]

PHOTOS: Thomas S. Monaghan Frank Lloyd Wright Collection exhibition @ Domino’s Farms


David

[SDR]

Interesting things to see at the Dominos exhibit. Remarkably inept written commentary. Wonderful models. And something new to me: a thirty-foot outdoor maquette (?) of the Golden Beacon tower:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/70832171@N07/8789907398

Oh yes -- and we lost Gunnar Birkerts this week: http://www.architecturalrecord.com/arti ... -1925-2017

SDR

[Roderick Grant]

At one time, it was Monaghan's intention to build the Golden Beacon.

[Paul Ringstrom]

And something new to me: a thirty-foot outdoor maquette (?) of the Golden Beacon tower:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/70832171@N07/8789907398 SDR

This Golden Beacon tower model has been outside this building almost forever.

[SDR]

Thanks. In 1989, when David Hanks wrote his book on Monaghan's collection, the owner wrote in his preface of the idea of recreating the 1957 Golden Beacon tower. Instead, he wrote, Gunnar Birkerts designed a 30-story tower to be built as part of the Dominos headquarters. The first phase of construction, a "six-tenth-of-a-mile-long building," was completed in 1985.

Whether more than this was built I do not know. No tower exists, does it ? I have seen the architect's detailed sections of his building; I wish I could find those now, as they deliciously enlarge on some Wrightian precedent in assembling brick, stone, metal and glass to make a deluxe environment. Monaghan's personal quarters were a part of what I saw, in line form.

SDR

[jmcnally]

http://www.flwright.us/FLWDominos2.htm

The actual tower was never built anywhere. Monaghan's proposal to build it in the Ann Arbor area was rejected by civic authorities.

[Paul Ringstrom]

Domino's Farm's Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit is permanent and does not close.

[Mod mom]

We visited Domino Farms about a month ago on a Saturday afternoon while picking up a car in Ann Arbor. The collection was an impressive but they could use better way-finding and security. We luckily encountered another visitor who directed in the direction of the Wright pieces. There was minimal lighting (and we couldn't find anyone for assistance) and we felt that the pieces were not protected from possible theft. Perhaps there were cameras on us that we were not aware of, but that doesn't stop possible damage like was witnessed at the Wexner Center for the Arts a couple years ago when a disgruntled former employee destroyed valuable artwork.

The headquarters certainly pays homage to Wright!