Atelier des Herrn Frank Lloyd Wright, Oak Park, Illinois)

This print depicts the façade and floor plan of Wright’s Oak Park, Illinois, studio following its addition to his home in 1898. Wright’s studio consisted of a sizable drafting room for his staff, complete with an octagonal mezzanine level, a reception hall, a private office, and, to the right, an intimate octagonal library Wright used to display drawings and prints. Wright’s use of complementary and recurring motifs and forms such as the octagon in both the studio and library indicates the repetition of elements he would use to help unify an overall design. The roof of his 1889 home, just visible at the right of the image, may have been deemed too modest, personal, or naïvely experimental for Wright to include in the portfolio; his preference to emphasize his studio is in keeping with the professional nature and use of the design, which was intended not only as a working studio but also to showcase his aesthetic to potential clients.