House on the Rock – an eccentric building with a museum of curiosities inspired by the work of F.L. Wright
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Centrum Ratownictwa Zabytków Warszawa
KAiU 2023;LXVIII(2):118-140
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the
stages of creation, sources of inspiration
and furnishings of a rather unusual building
erected on the outcrop of the Deer Shelter
Rock, USA, by Alexander John Jordan, an
amateur architect inspired by the work of
Frank Lloyd Wright, whose Taliesin residence
was located nearby. Like Wright, Jordan sought
to integrate architecture with the landscape. A
manifestation of this idea was the foundation
of the building on a geological formation
above the treetops and the rustic character of
the interiors. However, the expansion of the
property beyond the perimeter of the rocky
outcrop and the placement of a significant
amount of mechanical equipment of his own
design detracted from the idyllic character
of the residence. This was because the rooms
were predominantly designed for display
and quasi-museum purposes, rather than
exclusively for residential use. They made
the building famous, making it a tourist
attraction. The Dream Lives On... the house
on the rock (1991) describes the House on
the Rock as „a marvelous experiment of man’s
harmonious creative coexistence with nature,
a treat for the senses and a wonderfully
unique experience.”. The House on the Rock
is the opposite of Jean Paul Getty’s Villa in
Malibu, California, or the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, but it has achieved
far greater popularity in the ubiquitous world
of pop culture by catering to the tastes of mass
audiences.