It's Frank Lloyd Wright's birthday: big freakin' deal!

Frank Lloyd Wright was born on this date in 1867. He died April 9, 1959.

Far from being "The greatest artist this country has ever produced" (according to "architectural writer" Robert Campbell) Wright will be remembered by history as a creature of his times, obsessed with gimmickry, self promotion, and the destruction of all of the tradition and knowledge of those true artists who proceeded him.

Check out Frank's nifty gas station. It was part of his "Broadacre City" scheme, which appears to be the totalitarian middle's idea of a concentration camp for us proles.

No, I'm not saying Mr. Wright was a commie thug, (He didn't have to be, because the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.) so those out there with some stake in propping up his (literally) rotting legacy, there is no need to get your panties in a knot.

Here's a couple of excerpts from the last link - The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - detailing the structural stupidity of Wright's masterpiece:

In 1994, our continued concerns about the structural integrity of the house led us to engage the engineering firm, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the master terrace cantilever using non-destructive testing methods. The results of the study indicated that the master terrace could not function as an independent cantilever, and that it was transferring its load to the living room level. Furthermore, the study predicted the ultimate failure of the living room cantilevers if no remedial action was taken. (Emphasis mine.) The study recommended that the structure be repaired. In order to stop the deflections and provide a margin of safety, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy installed temporary shoring in 1997. A 1999 peer review approved the proposed plan for the structural repair, which will strengthen the living room using post-tensioning, and waterproofing the building.

I was not kidding about the rot:

Another major issue facing Fallingwater is moisture penetration. Lynda Waggoner, vice president of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and director of Fallingwater, said during the forum, "Inside the house, this on-going problem is responsible for warped doors, peeling paint, stains and cracks on the walls. It’s a serious problem that rivals our structural challenges in its importance." To remedy that, WASA proposed to replace the current one-ply rubber membrane roof with an IRMA (inverted roofing membrane assembly) roof. The IRMA system employs three plies of modified bitumem that is surmounted by a drainage mat (to guide the sub-surface water), insulation, filter fabric and gravel. The terraces will be waterproofed similarly with three plies of modified bitumem and a drainage mat. Flagstones will then be laid over filter fabric and sand.

Frank Lloyd's crap is falling down, falling down...

The stabilization of the cantilever is clearly a dramatic project, but the restoration of the structure includes many other vital components:

1. structural strengthening of Edgar Kaufmann, Sr.’s cantilevered terrace with carbon fiber;
2. restoration and repair of the corroded, and in some locations inoperable, steel sash that comprises the framing of the windows and doors throughout the building;
3. conservation of all interior built-in and free standing Frank Lloyd Wright designed furniture and woodwork;
4. restoration of the badly corroded steel supports and spalled concrete treads of the stairs that connect the living room to the stream;
5. cleaning and repointing of the exterior stone walls; and
6. waterproofing the building.