Unity Temple, Oak Park

A recent post at the designslinger blog alerted me to the fact that Unity Temple in Oak Park turned 100 years old in September.

It givs me an excuse to dust off my old photos of Unity Temple (from 2001) and show them here.

I am pleased to see that there is a certain overlap between the photos at designslinger and the ones I shot however I am sorry I missed the angle that opens their blog post. For me it sums one of the best aspects of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, the interplay and levels of the various rooflines he works into his designs. Pop over and have a look at their photo, it is a beauty.

Now back to my photos.

These exterior shots show how Wright was using concrete to incorporate decoration onto his buildings. This arrangement reminds me a lot of Hollyhock House in Los Angeles which Wright designed for Aline Barnsdale in 1921.

The photos also show one of the main problems with early concrete buildings with damage clearly visible in each of the two main pictures. The Unity Temple Restoration Fund are working to maintain and restore the building.

The interior of Unity Temple is one of those views in modern architecture which everyone should see. So detailed and warm compared to the exterior. Yet the decoration is still made up of very simple geometric shapes.

Of course, being a FLLW building, there is lots of stained glass windows as well.

Lake Theatre, Oak Park

The Lake Park Theatre in Oak Park, Illinois is a classic Art Deco cinema.

It was designed by architect Thomas Lamb and opened in 1936. In recent year it has been turned into multiplex but it has become home to many decorative features from other cinemas around Chicago that have not survived the onslaught of modern entertainment.