Often regarded as the greatest architect of our time, Frank Lloyd Wright has left several stunning works students, practitioners and even those unrelated to the field of architecture study, visit and appreciate. Yet, as Wright’s projects suffer the telling signs of age, dozens of restorative efforts have tried to preserve his masterpieces. Thanks to design firm Zünpartners, we can rest assured that Wright’s works will remain in perfect condition for years to come. The firm, who just earned a Webby, has designed a complete virtual tour of the Robie House using a special digital restoration process.
More about the website after the break.
The firm used historic black-and-white photos to painstakingly recreate every detail the way Wright originally designed it. To recreate fabrics, such as the carpets and table runners, actual thread samples were studied. To recreate lanterns, the last remaining original table lantern, which is owned by the Art Institute of Chicago, was examined extensively, and a missing dinner table was recreated using a composite of photographs.
If you think all of that took time, that’s nothing compared to figuring out Wright’s lighting scheme. Reproduction period light bulbs were studied to ensure that every corner is lit with the same color and intensity that Wright intended.
Check out the virtual tour…the result may rival the condition of the actual building when it reopens to the public following a massive $11 million restoration effort. And, for more information on the Robie House, be sure to view our AD Classics article.
As seen on ArtInfo.
