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Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House.
Tucked away in the University of Chicago’s campus in Hyde Park, the Robie House is one of Chicago’s oldest treasures. Completed in 1910, this house was an ingenious glimpse into the future of modern home design. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust provides walking tours throughout the house for a mere $15; the tour a more unbelievable exploration than I could have imagined.
A former professor at U of C led us around the house grounds and the stories we were told were completely engrossing.
Designed for owner Frederick C. Robie, Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have conceptualized the design for the house in his renowned studio in Chicago’s Oak Park.
The house has had many owners throughout its “lifetime,” and, as our tour guide explained most cryptically, may in fact be cursed. Marriages fell apart, and men lost their jobs all while living under Robie’s roof. I remained a bit skeptical of the curse. As a journalism student facing the uncertainty of a writer’s job market, I was unfazed by the tale.
In recent years, the house fell into disrepair and is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation not only to save the infrastructure, but to establish the home as a historic landmark (As declared by Hilary Clinton while First Lady of the United States.) In lieu of this construction, many of the rooms and the entire top floor of the home are off-limits to viewers of any kind.
The Robie House was an unbelievable feat for its time. Modern homes as we know them today were not a readily available design in the early 1900′s and Wright was, in many ways, a pioneer.
The inside of the house (of which no photography is permitted) harks back to an earlier time. The flow, the design, and the space of the rooms seem to speak of a medieval era. All wood, straight-backed chairs, and stone fireplaces, the home’s interior did not appear to reflect it’s modern, Japanese-style exterior. In fact, it almost appeared dark and cold (perhaps due to the rainy weather on this particular day?) and I wondered with a shiver about long winter nights.
If you’re looking to experience history first-hand, or think that there isn’t much in the world of modern art outside of the Art Institute’s new Modern Art wing, then you are in desperate need to a visit to the Robie House.
Frank Lloyd Wright has a big presence in the city of Chicago and there are many walking, home and studio tours available to the public. Chicago is an old, historic place and one would be remiss to ignore all the wonderful architecture and culture open to explore.
Purchase tickets to the Robie House at:
1-800-514-ETIX (3849)
Public tours are available Friday – Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm and advance ticket purchases are recommended.
-Ileana
