An Exceptional Home

An Exceptional Home. Martin House . Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect. , ... the most perfect thing of its kind in the world - , a domestic symphony, true, vital, comfortable. , - Frank Lloyd Wright, 1904, What makes the Martin House a true American masterpiece? It is a quintessential example of Frank Lloyd Wright's interplay of architecture, design, and landscape., Built in the iconic Prairie style, the Martin House is more than a home. It is a multi-residential estate admired for its six complementary buildings, interior and exterior gardens, and an awe-inspiring collection of art glass and furnishings, all designed by Wright and exquisitely crafted., This elaborate composition is defined by three dwellings for Darwin D. Martin, Martin's sister Delta Martin Barton, and a gardener. These structures are linked to a pergola, conservatory, and carriage house that are strategically placed within a carefully designed landscape. The resulting arrangement was described by Wright as a "domestic symphony.", The principal Martin House is characterized by its low profile, cruciform plan, spatial openness, pronounced horizontality, dramatic pier and cantilever construction, and natural palette of materials., [Illustration caption reads] , Darwin D. Martin House, Buffalo, N.Y. Perspective. Detail of Plate XXXII , from Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe von Frank Lloyd Wright , [Berlin : E. Wasmuth, 1910], Art Glass , Art glass is integral to Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural vision. The Martin House features more than 400 "light screens" - as Wright aptly called them - in sixteen unique patterns. The panels are conceived as geometric abstractions inspired by nature., Wright's signature design for the Martin House is popularly known as the Tree of Life. One standard "tree" contains approximately 750 individual pieces of clear, gold, and iridescent glass., Custom Furniture , Frank Lloyd Wright created a total aesthetic for the Martin House interior through the design of various custom furnishings. The collection of free-standing and built-in furniture is among the most extensive produced during Wright's Prairie period (c. 1900-10)., Wright's barrel chair is most notable. It was first designed for the Martins and later adapted by the architect for several other projects., [Photo captions, top and bottom, read] , . Tree of Life, 1904, . Reception room of the Martin House with two barrel chairs, 1907, [Far right map caption reads] Martin House site plan