The best Frank Lloyd Wright works in Chicago

One of the world's best architects left his mark on Chicago

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Time Out in association with Land Rover

Wednesday January 20 2016

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Perhaps no other architects changed the face of Chicago in quite the same way as Frank Lloyd Wright. Explore some of his greatest masterpieces, from quirky homes that are off the beaten path to modern architecture downtown.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Frank Lloyd Wright's Chicago masterpieces

1. Avery Coonley House

Photograph: Dan Eastman

The Avery Coonley House is unlike a lot of other Wright homes in that its landscape was designed by renowned architect Jens Jensen, the mind behind the Garfield Park Conservatory. It’s one of the largest Prairie school homes ever built, which makes sense considering that Avery Coonley and his wife were tycoons during the early 20th century. The place has been restored since it was built in 1912, and it’s one of the most beautiful homes in suburban Riverside (which has a pretty extensive roster of lovely abodes).

2. Bach House

Photograph: James Caulfield

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's last Chicago commissions, this 1915 Rogers Park house was built for Emil Bach and his wife, owners of Chicago’s Bach Brick Company. The Prairie-style house has all the classic and modern (for its time) touches of a true Wright masterpiece, with elaborate cantilevers and built-in bookshelves and benches. Small bedrooms have big windows, so it feels like a treehouse. And, as luck would have it, you can even stay all night. Rent the house (approximately $1,295/night) or, at the very least, take a 45-minute tour.

3. Heller House

Photograph: James Caulfield

The Heller House is one of the most famous homes in South Side Hyde Park. It’s widely regarded among architects as an example of Wright’s turn to a more geometric form of Prairie school architecture. The house might not be the most famous of Wright’s works, but it’s one of the most notable in Chicago proper.

4. Ingalls House

Photograph: Teemu008/Flickr

If you’re in the market for a Frank Lloyd Wright house, now’s your chance. Wright's famous J. Kibben Ingalls House in River Forest dates back to 1909 and it could be yours—for just $1.325 million. The Prairie-style house in River Forest was updated in the 1970s when architect John Tilton purchased it, though it still shows off many of its original features, including the sconce lights, art glass windows and built-in cabinetry.

5. Millard House

Photograph: Teemu008/Flickr

The George Madison Millard House in Highland park is most well-known for the 68 original stained glass windows that decorate its interior and facade. Built in 1906, the four-bedroom home sits on a .66-acre plot of pristine woodland and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Alice Millard, widow of the late George Madison Millard, trusted Wright’s design principles so much that she allowed the renowned architect to experiment on another house after she moved Pasadena, California. This second home, known as the Millard House, was constructed entirely out of concrete blocks and is the first of Wright’s textile homes.

6. Robie House

The Frederick C. Robie House is a national landmark that dates back to the very first National Register of Historic Places, created October 15, 1966. Wright designed the home in 1908 while living in Oak Park and the Robie family, who it was designed for, moved into the house in 1910. Though they moved out just a little over a year later, the home has retained their namesake and remains a hallmark of Wright’s design aesthetics.

7. The Rookery

On the outside, the Loop’s Rookery Building shows very little resemblance to the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture with which many eyes are familiar. That’s because it was designed by locally legendary architecture firm, Burnham and Root, whose crowning achievement was coordinating the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The interior lobby, also known as the light court, might look a little more noticeable though. Wright was brought in to give it an overhaul in 1905. Find Wright’s touches in the Prairie-style entrance, the lighting, white marble and extensive Persian-style detailing.

8. The Studio

The master architect drafted plans for many of his iconic buildings at his Oak Park studio, which is adjacent to his home, where he lived from 1889 to 1909. During his time living in the house with his wife and children, Wright constantly changed the interior as he tested out his design theories. The result was his Prairie-style homes, which drew inspiration from flat Midwestern landscapes and featured horizontal lines, open floor plans and low roofs.

9. Unity Temple

Photograph: James Caulfield

Frank Lloyd Wright described the Unity Temple as his “contribution to modern architecture,” a stark concrete structure that was highly unorthodox at the time of its construction. Oak Park’s Universalist congregation asked Wright to design the church after the group’s original church burned down in 1905. Inspired by the principles of the Universalist faith, Wright created an unadorned building with separate areas for worship and social functions. The building became a National Landmark in 1971, but preservationists are still struggling to raise funds to repair the structural damage that has plagued the aging structure.

10. Winslow House

Photograph: Roger Meyer/Flickr

The River Forest home (which just so happens to be for sale!) was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1893. The home, which has four fireplaces and a coach house, features original details like art glass windows and built-ins, plus many of the shapes Wright is known for, including curved window seats, indoor arches and horizontal lines. The style marked a dramatic shift from flowery design of the era, and the Wright shape is an icon of modern design.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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