In the real estate market, you can buy a home designed by the most famous architect in the US, Frank Lloyd Wright, who left an indelible mark on the international scene.
If you ask an architect, architectural historian, or any construction lover, if they know who designed the Guggenheim Museum in New York or The Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, they will recite, with an interesting air, a name: Frank Lloyd Wright. And it is not for less, the American genius left an indelible mark on the future of furniture and real estate design and, probably, on the entire modern conception of ecological urbanism.
and one of them is this Cedar Lake house,
The architectural genius was a prolific creator and designed more than 1,000 buildings during his 91 years of life, between 1867 and 1959. Of these, about 530 were executed, quite a feat if we take into account that he never possessed the title of architect. , something that did not prevent him from being recognized as such, due to his excellent knowledge in the field. A similar event that happened to other acclaimed non-architects, such as Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe or the Canarian César Manrique.
integrated into the natural environments in which they are located
Quality homes, with good design, and integrated into nature
Be that as it may, Lloyd’s legacy is unbeatable. Over the years, most of his creations have been well preserved, either due to respect for his work, the durability of his concepts, or how introduced they are in the natural environments from which it emanates. Of course, among so many buildings with his last name, there is some work that, economically speaking, is not valued enough, or, why not say it, that does not seem appropriate for the needs of current tenants.
square meters
Could it be the case of the property that we show you today? Let’s get in the background. It is a single-family residence located at 2801 Burnham Boulevard, Minneapolis, Minnesota, an idyllic location next to Cedar Lake, immersed in a wooded area and a few meters from the beach. It is located in the Cedar Lake natural park, a wonderful place where you can play golf, enjoy cycling, fish with permission, spend a pleasant afternoon on a picnic or barbecue, and much more.
Frank Lloyd Wright was 83 years old
The building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
The name of the property is House of Frieda and Henry J. Neils, the couple for whom the house was built. Henry owned a construction materials distribution company, something that decisively marked the design of the property. The house has 233 square meters built, three bedrooms and three bathrooms, and the most important thing is that it was built by Wright in 1951, when he was 83 years old, there is nothing.
The heirs of the Neils put it on the real estate market for the first time in 2018, and it continues there without anyone having acquired it, and that its initial price has dropped from 3.4 million dollars (3.09 euros) at 2.75 million (2.50 euros).
A house divided into two areas: one quiet and one active
The house has an L-shaped floor plan that is distributed separating two areas, the active and the quiet. A curious way to distinguish the rest area from the common areas.
is divided into active and quiet zones
The shorter side of the L faces the lake, has a living room with a vaulted ceiling, with a height of 5.3 meters, and exceptional views over Cedar Lake. The quiet part of the building is the long stick of the L, where the rooms and a gallery that connects to a hidden main entrance, like in the movies, are located. In addition, at the end of the L there is a garage for three vehicles, of those that were called private until Covid-19, and that are now for individual use.
Neils’ stamp is also present in the house
The influence of Neils can be found in the walls and the exterior, which are executed with pieces of marble, something not very characteristic of Wright. In addition, the windows of the house were made of aluminum, when the architect was popular for his woodwork. The marble walls are, of course, exquisitely fractured. There is no doubt that it is a material of the so-called noble, although its completion, from what they tell, did not like Lloyd and the Neils too much, so they dyed them after the construction was finished.
Marble is a porous stone, normally light tones, and capable of absorbing dyes of different shades, being able to widely modify its appearance, not its texture. The building has sectioned gabled roofs with different heights, presenting angled shapes and asymmetrical designs, which is to be appreciated, not everything is going to be round or square.
of the house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Marble, one of the most characteristic aspects of the house
The active areas have large windows, almost from floor to ceiling, allowing maximum use of sunlight. In addition, the house has reddish pavements and wooden panels throughout the property.
The interior of the property is irretrievably marked by the marble pieces on the walls, in fact, it is in all of them, only those with wood panels are saved. The great room has a built-in sofa, a huge fireplace, and a kind of dining nook with a bench outlined by Lloyd, like the rest of the furniture. The rooms have a unique design and one of them even has a loft with a hobby room. To secretly watch television?
A design and layout that need updating
The main hall has an extensive red and orange carpet that contrasts with the rest of the furniture. The property has two kitchens, the main one with plenty of glass, with stainless steel counters and wooden furniture; and a narrower one, located near the backyard, and with stainless steel elements. Surrounding the building is a large garden, which seems to lack a swimming pool.
requires reforms and updates
Could a current family choose to buy this beautiful property and enjoy it to its full extent? I am in favor of no, at least, without first doing an interior reform, which could cause an artistic or historicist dilemma. In my case, I can’t imagine removing the wood paneling, Lloyd’s furniture, or covering the marble walls… Anyway, whoever the buyer is, they will have to be delighted with the interior design if they want to live there. By the way, 13 minutes by car, and 15 by bicycle, is the T3 Building, the largest wooden building in America.