
Frank Lloyd Wright
(1867-1959)
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The Avery Coonley House is a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Constructed in 1907-1908, this is an estate of several buildings built on the banks of the Des Planes River in Riverside, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Avery Coonley was heir to an industrial fortune and had an unlimited budget. The Coonleys had investigated Wright's other homes and told him that they saw in his work "the countenances of principle". Wright stated in his autobiography that,"this was to me a great and sincere compliment. So I put my best into the Coonley House."
The lower exterior is stucco rising to a ceramic tile banding with a geometric pattern. The gardens contain terraces, shallow planters and a large reflecting pool. For the education of the Coonley's young daughter, Wright designed a playhouse nearby.
In 1911, Avery Coonley commissioned Wright to build a playhouse where Mrs. Coonley would teach kindergarten. The Coonley Playhouse windows were completed in1912, incorporating images of balloons, American flags and confetti. The design used in these windows was artistically striking and represents Wright’s first departure from his signature style using only straight lines.
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