This lecture series, presented by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, starts with ‘To See A World In A Grain of Sand,’ a talk by Matthew Skjonsberg, director of the Praxis Institute. With the Usonian Automatic system of concrete blocks Frank Lloyd Wright created a method of construction that, like his earlier ‘textile blocks’, could be used for individual houses or for community buildings and infrastructure. The lecture will address the creation and deployment of this system together with other systems he developed, while considering how the system reflects the influence of architecture from other places – including Japan, Egypt, and France.

About the series
The 1923 opening of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, was the culmination of one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most ambitious and elaborate commissions. It was Wright’s first international project, inaugurating him as one of the first twentieth century architects of global significance. In celebration of the Imperial Hotel’s 100th anniversary, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy are partnering to offer a series of online conversations about Wright’s engagement with Japan and the world. 

Wright first visited Japan in 1905 and ultimately made seven trips there, spending a total of nearly three years in the country. The Imperial Hotel commission was an opportunity for Wright to experiment with themes and ideas that had been in gestation for years and that would later resurface in his work: Japanese prints, the relationship between architecture and landscape, and a deep interest in global cultures. Talks, moderated by Jennifer Gray, Vice President of the Taliesin Institute at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, will highlight the network of people and places that intersect with Wright’s experience in Japan and resurface in projects around the world.

Future Talks
Apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright: Kameki & Nobu Tsuchiura
Thursday January 11, 7:00-8:00 pm ET

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Water Gardens, 1893-1959: The Japanese Tradition
Thursday February 8, 7:00-8:00 pm ET

To See A World In A Grain of Sand
Thursday December 7, 7:00-8:00 pm ET
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