Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church

[Paul Ringstrom]

http://milwaukeerecord.com/city-life/a- ... ox-church/

[DRN]

Reporters either getting details wrong, or repeating misspoken interviewees...
-The dome is not scalloped.
-The dome was not “made out of blue tile�. Its concrete shell was surfaced with it.
-The tile was not replaced due to structural issues. Freeze thaw cycling and dome expansion/contraction caused tile grout failure. The roof was resurfaced with an elastomeric coating to reduce maintenance effort and cost on the concrete’s waterproofing.

Incidentally, the original tiles remain at the lower partial dome at the main entrance.

[Matt]

Any opinions on the provenance of this particular design? It always felt to me more Wes Peters than Wright.

[Rood]

Any opinions on the provenance of this particular design? It always felt to me more Wes Peters than Wright.

Perhaps not, Matt. Mr. Wright was deeply impressed with some of the domes found on Eastern Orthodox churches ... as contrasted with the sort of domes designed by Michelangelo and his followers. And, aside from structural considerations, he might have consulted with his Eastern Orthodox wife long before turning to Wes Peters.

[DRN]

At the MoMA exhibit last summer, a preliminary drawing in Wright's hand makes pretty clear FLLW was in charge of the design. I'll send a pic to SDR for posting.
Domes are very commonly used elements in Greek Orthodox churches, and it would seem natural for Wright to want to use one for this project. The opposite of what Matt suggests may be the case: FLLW's use of circular forms in the 1940's and '50's influenced Wes Peters' interest in circular forms.

I may have noted this elsewhere, but there are records in the Guastavino Tile archive of Wright's inquiry about the use of a Guastavino tile dome (Catalan timbrel vaulting) for the church. Apparently the cost of the timbrel vault was close to twice that of the thin shell concrete dome that was built...labor costs mostly.

[HOJO]

Any opinions on the provenance of this particular design? It always felt to me more Wes Peters than Wright.

This sanctuary space may be seen as the logical circular development of Unity Temple (S.096) -> says Storrer.

[Rood]

At the MoMA exhibit last summer, a preliminary drawing in Wright's hand makes pretty clear FLLW was in charge of the design. I'll send a pic to SDR for posting.
Domes are very commonly used elements in Greek Orthodox churches, and it would seem natural for Wright to want to use one for this project. The opposite of what Matt suggests may be the case: FLLW's use of circular forms in the 1940's and '50's influenced Wes Peters' interest in circular forms.

I may have noted this elsewhere, but there are records in the Guastavino Tile archive of Wright's inquiry about the use of a Guastavino tile dome (Catalan timbrel vaulting) for the church. Apparently the cost of the timbrel vault was close to twice that of the thin shell concrete dome that was built...labor costs mostly.

Yes, and some of the best examples of Guastavino type domes are found at the Cuban National Art Schools .... which were also some of the first casualties of the Bay of Pigs debacle, following which the Cuban government diverted most discretionary funds for purposes of defense. See:

https://www.wmf.org/project/national-art-schools

[Roderick Grant]

Did FLW ever opine about the Pantheon?

[DRN]

A pic from the MoMA exhibition last summer of Gene Masselink's design for the art glass in one of the arches (not built) coupled with Wright's conceptual plan and elevation below.

[DRN]

From John Gurda's "New World Odyssey", which details the history of the church, has a passage quoting apprentice John Ottenheimer about the creation of the shown drawing above.

http://www.steinerag.com/flw/Books/f1986-07.htm

[SDR]

. . .

[DavidC]

Alexis Vinogradov on Frank Lloyd Wright - (1:44)


David

[DavidC]

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, Greek Orthodox Church, Milwaukee 4k - (4:38)


David

[SDR]

Of which noted Old World edifice did Wright ask, "Is it hollow ?" Was it St Peter's Basilica, or the Pantheon, or . . .?

S

[Tom]

... don't know, and never head of this, but of the two choices you offer I would say he said it of St. Pete's a big cake with decorative marble icing.