9781422271834

MASTERS OF ART

The development of architecture in the Americas, both North and South, reflects this influence as the Europeans established themselves in these areas, carrying their architectural heritage with them. It was on such a foundation that the first essentially American architectural styles emerged. The European influence was predominantly British and French, with some Spanish impact, especially in the South. One notable, predominantly British, contribution—known as the “Battle of the Styles”—arose from a difference of opinion among professional architects who argued what the appropriate style for major architectural works should be—the Classical or the Medieval, both of which were

PLATE 7 Francisco Terrace Apartments, 253–257 Francisco Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 1895. Demolished 1974; archway reerected in Oak Park in 1977 The simple, undecorated character of these low-cost apartments, designed with care in respect of proportion, are only superceded by the Richardsonian archway reminiscent of Sullivan’s Stock Exchange entrance arch, which was being constructed at the same time. Wright was beginning to gain larger commissions, and this was one of his first designs. The archway led into a rectangular courtyard with the apartments facing onto it. Only the apartments bordering Francisco Avenue were publicly visible, and Wright wanted to create a sense of community within the whole structure.

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