FallingwaterJust 60 miles (about 95km) south-east of Pittsburgh on
Interstate 76, Fallingwater is an absolute must-see attraction. The
house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935 for retail giant
Edgar J. Kaufman, is situated among the waterfalls and woods of the
beautiful Bear Run Nature Reserve, and remains the world's best
example of what has come to be known as 'organic architecture'. A
stupefying achievement, Wright managed to design a
fully-functioning personal residence that blends fluidly and
harmoniously with its natural setting: the sound of rushing water
is a constant, susurrus presence in the house; a boulder juts out
into the living room and doubles as a hearth; the windows open
outward from the corners of the walls, leaving no panes to obstruct
the natural view. Ayn Rand was so inspired by this triumphant feat
of individualistic artistic expression, that she largely based her
novel
on Wright's ingenuous creation.
Fallingwater has been included in
magazine's list of '28 places
Address: 1491 Mill Run Road, Mill Run, PA
Website: www.fallingwater.org
Telephone: (724) 329 8501
Opening Time: Regular season (March 14 to November 27): Open daily,
except Wednesday, from 10am to 4pm. Advance reservations are
essential.
Admission: $23 adults, $17 children 6-12. Discounted tickets
available in advance on the website. For $65, you get an 'in-depth
tour' of the house. |
