Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, writer, designer and educator who built over 1000 structures for a period of 70 years. He was famous for designing buildings in harmony with nature and called this philosophy Organic architecture. His Prairie school movement of architecture also gained a lot of traction. He designed a number of houses, schools, churches, hotels and skyscrapers. Wright was also known for his interior elements like leaded glass windows, floors and furniture that became a part of his projects. After Wright’s death, most of his works were stored at the Frank Llyod Wright Foundation in Taliesin. The collection included 23,000 architectural drawings, 44,000 photographs and 3,00,000 pieces of office and personal correspondence. The foundation has collaborated with various institutions to bring Llyod’s works to life even after his death. One such collaboration is with Eso surfaces.
“We took the concrete block and made it live as a thing of beauty, textured like the trees among which it stood.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired 3D Cement Tiles and Textile Blocks
The Frank Llyod Wright partnered with Eso Surfaces, a building materials company from Southern California to create textile blocks and 3D cement tiles from the iconic Frank Llyod Wright archives. The collection comprises of Five grey tiles and blocks that reproduce the signature patterns and aesthetics of architectural landmarks like Charles Ennis House, John storer House and Millard House.
During Wright’s practice, he created beautiful moulds that were used to make tiles that could be used for interiors and exteriors and ended up making the buildings look extraordinary. Eso surfaces reinterpreted Wright’s works to the highest grade of quality allowing individuals to have a touch of Wright’s works in their homes, offices and landscapes. These tiles can be bought as single tiles or in bulk and can be used for display or projects, however one wishes to. By unifying decoration and function in interiors and exteriors, the blocks were considered an utterly modern and democratic expression to his organic architecture.
Millard 3D Tile
The Millard house used Millard 3D tiles that is located in Pasadena, California. It was first out of the four houses to use the textile blocks that allowed Wright to move beyond the prairie style to explore more variations of the concrete tiles and blocks to create interesting patterns that were not only aesthetically pleasing but were also available at a lower cost. The tiles were designed as an experiment in modular housing to bring in simpler methods of construction with which ordinary people could build their homes.
Ablin Textile Block
The Ablin Textile block is a uniquely shaped concrete which is cut into a hollow in the middle with great precision and is used for walls to allow light and breeze within the space. The design from Ablin House in Bakersfield, CA I licenced to be used as a consumer product. This tile can be used for interior as well as exterior.
Ennis 3D Tile
Ennis House located in LA, California was designed by Wright and the tile took inspiration from the ancient Mayan Temples and is an example of the Mayan Revival style. The prominent detail is the reliefs of Mayan buildings.
Storer Textile Block
The storer house is located in Hollywood Hills of LA, California and is another Mayan revival style textile blockhouse and based on modernist architecture. It is much known for the brocade like pattern that it forms on the walls. It was also considered as a low-cost method of construction.
Links
- Shopify.com. (2021). [online] Available at: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0383/1794/9065/files/frank-lloyd-wright-textile-blocks-3d-cement-tiles___media_library_original_1344_756_480x480.jpg?v=1626994619 [Accessed 4 Sep. 2021].
- Stirworld.com. (2021). [online] Available at: https://www.stirworld.com/images/see/2266_FLWTilesandBlocks_4.jpg?34 [Accessed 4 Sep. 2021].
- Design Milk. (2021). Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired 3D Cement Tiles + Textile Blocks. [online] Available at: https://design-milk.com/frank-lloyd-wright-inspired-3d-cement-tiles-textile-blocks/ [Accessed 4 Sep. 2021].
- world, S. (n.d.). Frank Lloyd Wright inspired 3D cement tiles and textile blocks unveiled. [online] www.stirworld.com. Available at: https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-frank-lloyd-wright-inspired-3d-cement-tiles-and-textile-blocks-unveiled.
