Frank Lloyd Wright, “the greatest architect America has ever produced”, is revered for his practice of organic architecture. His attention to the site and surroundings of his works often inspired the outcome of his buildings greatly.
As I read this article in the Washington Post, Wright’s Bold Vision for Reshaping the Capital, I couldn’t help but think about Wright as a business person or marketer though. To my knowledge even the world’s most famous architects usually aren’t known for their business prowess. Why not?
I believe it’s because the two ideas seem to always be placed in opposition. A great architect or artist cares only about their craft, a great business person cares only about making money. If anything, I think this article actually served to prove that the two can co-exist.
For everything that we’ve come to know of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works, this project proves his attention to efficiencies in business, marketing, sales and even bottom line.
Interesting points from the article:
- Wright pitched the same building design to three different locations, New York, DC and eventually Oklahoma. Organic architecture or not, this is efficient.
- Even with a good idea that his project would never get built, Wright went forward with it as an effort to gain media attention and break into a new market.
- As a way to protect his business and his investment in the project, he hired a Private Investigator to get background on his business partner.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Wright was as good a business person as he was an architect obviously. However, I do think the “greats” had a little better grasp on their marketing and brands than we hear about in school.
Thank you for this article. I would say FLW used his passion and talent as marketing tools. He set his own rules – became a brand It made him both great architect and marketer.