n 1905, while Wright was building the Larkin Building, he received the
commission to rebuild Oak Parks Unitarian church, which was destroyed that year by
fire during a storm. Wright was a member of the congregation, and developed the design in tandem with the congregation and its minister. To a certain
degree, Unity Temple represents an extension of the theme Wright began at the
Larkin Buildinga top-lit interior space surrounded by galleries or balconiesand one that he would use repeatedly throughout his career, notably in the Guggenheim Museum and the S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Administration Building.In all three building, the luminous experience of the interior is magnified by its contrast with the exteriors visual weight.
In 1901 he claimed (in contrast to many Arts and Crafts reformers) that
machine-made products could be used intelligently and beautifully.
Yet the
processes of industrialization and rapid urbanization distressed him for the
most part, and his urban buildings are thus turned inward, protected from the
city by thick masonry walls. Where windows are provided, they are frequently
inoperable, and are often placed to admit light without allowing views into
the structure.
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