DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

IOT-WU

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE –III

ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE

Extracted by- Natnael

ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE (ORGANIC
(ORGANIC
METABOLISM)
METABOLISM)

FALLING WATER
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE (ORGANIC
(ORGANIC METABOLISM)
METABOLISM)

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 that buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a
.unified, interrelated composition

The term organic architecture was coined by 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, written in 1954
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE (ORGANIC
(ORGANIC METABOLISM)
METABOLISM)

Frank Lloyd Wright (born Frank Lincoln Wright, June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an
American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000
structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in
.organic architecture harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called

This philosophy was best exemplified by his design for Fallingwater (1935), which has been
called "the best all-time work of American architecture". Wright was a leader of the 
Prairie School movement of architecture and developed the concept of the Usonian home,
.his unique vision for urban planning in the United States

His work includes original and innovative examples of many different building types,
including offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, and museums. Wright also
designed many of the interior elements of his buildings, such as the furniture and 
stained glass. Wright authored 20 books and many articles and was a popular lecturer in
the United States and in Europe. His colorful personal life often made headlines, most
notably for the 1914 fire and murders at his Taliesin studio. Already well known during his
lifetime, Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as "the
greatest .American architect of all time
 ORGA NIC Architecture
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, 1939

 Declare organic architecture to be the modern idea and teaching philosophy.

 Suggest to serve the whole of life, to see the whole of life.

 Not to cherish any preconceived form fixing upon us either past, present or future.

 Praise the simple laws of common sense or of super-sense preferring to determine

form by way of the nature of materials…”
 ORGA NIC Architecture vs Modern Architecture

ORGANIC MODERN
 PROCESS ORIENTED  PRODUCT ORIENTED
 CONTINUOUS  DISCRETE
 MULTI-LINEAR  LINEAR
 EMERGENT(GROWING)  BLUEPRINT
 HEALTHY& FLEXIBLE
 RIGID
 ORGA NIC Architecture
IDEA OF ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE REFERS:

 The buildings' literal relationship to the natural surroundings

 How buildings' design is carefully thought about as if it were a unified

organism.

 Geometries build a central mood and theme.

 Essentially organic architecture is the literal design of every element of a

building:- windows, floors, furniture to fill the space.

 Everything relates to one another, reflecting the symbiotic ordering systems

of nature.

 Materials, motifs, and basic ordering principles repeat themselves

throughout the building as a whole.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
 Building should grow naturally from its environment.

 Using Nature as a basis for design, a building must grow as Nature grows,
from the inside out.

 Nature grows from the idea of a seed and reaches out to its surroundings.

 A building thus, is analogous to an organism and mirrors the beauty and

complexity of Nature.

 Organic architecture strives to integrate space into a unified whole.

 Modern organic buildings are not linear or rigidly geometric.

 But ,wavy lines and curved shapes suggest natural forms.

 ORGA NIC Architecture
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE IS APPROPRIATE TO TIME, PLACE, &
PEOPLE

APPROPRIATE TO TIME :
 Building should belong to the era in which it is created.
 Addresses contemporary life-styles, Social patterns and conditions
 Employs available materials and new technological methods resourcefully
and honestly.

APPROPRIATE TO PLACE:
 Building in harmony with its natural environment
 Building that in its proportions, materials and design belongs to its site.

APPROPRIATE TO PEOPLE :
 Humane architecture, in human scale.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
To explain concept of unity in nature, architects use a living
organism as an example:
 Harmony of the part in relation to the whole.
 The parts are made according to the function of the organism.
 The form of the organism decides the character of the organism.
 Organic architecture is an attempt to:-

-Integrate the spaces into a coherent whole:

-Marriage between the site and the structure
-Union between the context and the structure.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Organic architectural designs emphasize on:
 The Integration of parts to the whole.
 Design of parts controls the design of the whole.
 Respect for the property of materials
 Construction according to nature’s principles.
 Continuity between inner and outer spaces.
 Harmonious relationship between:
-Form/design and function ,
-Man and nature
-Force and construction.
 ORGA NIC Architecture

Biomorphic or metabolist architecture is an architectural representation of an

organism generated on a computer.

Cities of the future inhabited by a mass society were characterized by large scale,
flexible, and expandable structures that evoked the processes of organic growth.

MATERIALS: Different materials were used mostly from the site

 Stone
 Stucco
 Concrete
 Wood and grass
 Steel and glass
 ORGA NIC Architecture
CHARACTERSTICS:

 Sustainable, healthy, conserving, diverse and inspired by the

power and beauty of nature.

 Unfold, like an organism, from the seed within.

 Exist in the "continuous present" and "begin again and

again".

 Follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable.

 Satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs.

 ORGA NIC Architecture
CHARACTERSTICS:

 Grow out of the site" and be unique.

 Celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise.

 Express the rhythm of music and the power of dance.

 Predominance of the curve over the straight line.

 Rich decoration and detail, by the frequent use of vegetal

and other organic motifs.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
CHARACTERSTICS:

 Grow out of the site" and be unique.

 Celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise.

 Express the rhythm of music and the power of dance.

 Predominance of the curve over the straight line.

 Rich decoration and detail, by the frequent use of vegetal

and other organic motifs.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- FALLING WATER

 Built around Wright’s desire to place the occupants close to natural

surroundings.

 Vision of the exploded box.

 Windows meet at the corners of rooms.

 The idea of embracing the nature by means of projecting terraces

,the horizontal outlines float in space .

 Vertical elements such as stairs and

 Chimneys faced in rough stone and from a nearby quarry.

 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- FALLING WATER
 Falling water Pennsylvania Home directly over the waterfall and creek creating a
close, yet noisy dialog with the rushing water and the steep site.

 Built around Wright’s desire to place the occupants close to natural

surroundings.

 Vision of the exploded box.

 Windows meet at the corners of rooms.

 The idea of embracing the nature by means of projecting terraces ,the

horizontal outlines float in space .
 ORGA NIC Architecture
 Vertical elements such as stairs and

 Chimneys faced in rough stone and from a nearby quarry.

 ORGA NIC Architecture
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- FALLING WATER
 ORGA NIC Architecture
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- FALLING WATER

 Continuity of Spatial flow

 Unity of elements
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- TALIESIN WEST, ARIZONA

 A great and poetic building designed in subtle harmony with its

magnificent setting of desert and mountains.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- TALIESIN WEST, ARIZONA

 A great and poetic building designed in subtle harmony with its

magnificent setting of desert and mountains.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- TALIESIN WEST, ARIZONA

 Deep intuitive feeling for the nature of the chosen materials and for the way
man might best live under the hard, bright sun.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- TALIESIN WEST, ARIZONA

 Diffused light dramatically guided towards the interior space

 ORGA NIC Architecture
Works And Architects
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

 A nautilus served as a natural inspiration for the Guggenheim Museum.

 The museum meant to be viewed on a descending spiral ramp begin

ning at the top of the broad foyer of the museum & sweeping slowly
downward to arrive again at the entrance foyer.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

 Spiral ramp from ground up to roof..

 ORGA NIC Architecture
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT- SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
 Visitors can focus on the works of art that
line the descending walls as they walk
slowly down ward.
 It was based on the Module of the circle
similar the Hemi-circle House.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
conclusion
 Frank Lloyd wright can be considered part of American Arts and
Crafts style but his translation was different and evolved into a
modern aesthetic. It spanned a number of design aesthetics from AAC
to International Style and biomorphic modernism. the so-called
“prairie houses” are examples of his organic approach to
architecture. he believed that building should evolve naturally from its
surroundings.

 For that he emphasized horizontals rather than verticals and blurred

the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces. he used a
palette of understated colors drawn from nature and the surrounding
landscape. he used contrasts of tone and texture. stained glasses
with geometric shapes for windows and lighting fixtures were the only
strong colors in these spaces.
 ORGA NIC Architecture
conclusion

 At Fallingwater he used warm shade of red, brown, green and yellow

inspired from the autumn colors. “the Cherokee red” was his favorite
color and the most famous color of the Fallingwater.