San Marcos

[Tom]

Seven Vanishing Point Perspective ...?
Six on the page, the seventh off to the left.
Can someone explain ?

https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/285 ... 2057636251

[Tom]

Must be different elements.

[SDR]

The San Marcos plan is based on an equilateral-triangle grid. So, at a minimum we could expect three vanishing points. In addition, there are 45º angles and orthogonal elements, so add more VPs . . .

https://library.artstor.org/#/asset/285 ... 2077291484

S

[Tom]

Very complex project.

[Tom]

Looking through the archives it appears as if San Marcos is the first full project that uses a non-orthogonal unit system.
...?
Is that common knowledge?

[SDR]

Probably---followed closely by the Cudney and first Richard Lloyd Jones house plans. There was flirtation with non-orthogonal geometries in the Little Dipper, Doheny Ranch and Lake Tahoe projects of four or five years earlier, but I do not find a drawing for any of those where a 30-60 grid is shown.

S

[Tom]

Looking thru the projects of the 20's one could conjecture that the appearance of the non-orthogonal grid coincides with Wright's experience of the desert.

The Young house project is interesting while speculating on Wright's initial forays into the " non-orthog." The plans are orthogonal but the elevations are not - a curious polarization or un-integrated whole - atypical of Wright.

https://library.artstor.org/#/search/ar ... e=1;sort=1


It's a shame we don't have the plan for this project: 1921:

https://library.artstor.org/#/search/ar ... e=1;sort=1

However I'd be surprised if the unit system was non-orthogonal this early in the decade, Even the Tahoe projects are still regular.

[Roderick Grant]

The 1921 Project was a plan for FLW's own use, probably meant for Death Valley around the time he was working on the Albert M. Johnson/Death Valley Scotty Project in the 20s. A floor plan appears in Taschen 2/134, a large octagonal court with a cluster of rooms at the back end. The material used is anyone's guess, there being so little known about the work. The use of a walled garden as the principal room may have inspired Sun Trap (T 2/345).

[SDR]

If I'm not mistaken, Wright himself referred to the desert environment and/or geology as impetus for the non-orthogonal geometries he essayed there---Taliesin West being the obvious example, following the earlier work we've been talking about.

S

[Tom]

SDR, if you think of where that reference can be located please post - I'd love to know.