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"Organic Architecture"

Presentation · July 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21305.11364

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Stran Star
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"Organic Architecture"
By Stran Star
The term "Organic Architecture" was coined by
the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright
(1867-1959), though never well articulated by his
cryptic style of writing:

"So here I stand before you preaching organic

architecture: declaring organic architecture to be
the modern ideal and the teaching so much
needed if we are to see the whole of life, and to
now serve the whole of life, holding no traditions
essential to the great TRADITION. Nor cherishing
any preconceived form fixing upon us either
past, present or future, but instead exalting the
simple laws of common sense or of super-sense
if you prefer determining form by way of the
nature of materials..."

- Frank Lloyd Wright, an Organic Architecture,

1939.
Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture
which promotes harmony between human habitation
and the natural world through design approaches so
sympathetic and well integrated with its site those build-
ings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of an
unified, interrelated composition.

The philosophy grew from the ideas of Frank Lloyd

Wright's mentor, Louis Sullivan, who believed that "form
follows function", Wright argued that "form and function
are one." and the Art Nouveau architects of the early
twentieth century incorporated curving, plant-like
shapes into their designs. But in the later half of the
twentieth century, Modernist architects took the con-
cept of organic architecture to new heights. By using
new forms of concrete and cantilever trusses, architects
could create swooping arches without visible beams or
pillars
Organic Architecture is also translated into the all
inclusive nature of Frank Lloyd Wright’s design
process. Materials, motifs, and basic ordering
principals continue to repeat themselves through-
out the building as a whole. The idea of “Organic
Architecture” refers not only to the buildings'
literal relationship to the natural surroundings,
but how the buildings' design is carefully thought
about as if it were a unified organism. Geometries
throughout Wright’s buildings build a central
mood and theme. Essentially “Organic Architec-
ture” is also the literal design of every element of
a building: From the windows, to the floors, to
the individual chairs intended to fill the space.
Everything relates to one another, reflecting the
symbiotic ordering systems of nature.
 New Organic Architecture is a manifesto for building
in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and kinder
to the environment. It illuminates key themes of
organic architects, their sources of inspiration, the
roots and concepts behind the style, and the environ-
mental challenges to be met.

The organic approach to architecture has an illustri-

ous history, from Celtic design, Art Nouveau, Arts and
Crafts, to the work of Antoni Gaudí and Frank Lloyd
Wright. Today there is a response to a new age of
information and ecology; architects are seeking to
change the relationship between buildings and the
natural environment. In the first part of his book,
David Pearson provides a history and assessment of
organic architecture. The second part comprises state-
ments from thirty architects from around the world
whose work is based on natural or curvilinear forms
rather than the straight-line geometrics of modern-
ism. Each statement is accompanied by full-color
illustrations of one or several of the architects' built
projects.

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