frank lloyd wright-designed waller apartments terra cotta ornament (1896) revisited

the cleaned/not cleaned buff-colored spandrels and roofline terra cotta was executed by the northwestern terra cotta company, chicago, ills. wright used the distinctive oversized bead or ball cornice blocks for both waller (1896) and the non-extant francisco terrace apartments (1895-1974), located just north of waller (see salvaged fragment below).

the frank lloyd wright-designed waller apartments (located on the west side of chicago) were completed in 1896. a few years prior, wright was working as chief draftsman for the architectural firm of adler & sullivan. in 1893 louis h. sullivan fired wright after learning of his "bootleg" commissions. around the same time, wright completed the francis apartments (1895), constructed for the terra haute trust company. as wright's philosophy of design matured, he gradually abandoned the orbit of sullivan's richly organic for more retrained and strongly geometric design. with the exception of ornamental terra cotta panels and a cornice accentuated with beads, the facades exhibit a restrained design.

broad and stepped semicircular richardsonian romanesque arch entrance. each apartment was designed with a single bedroom, parlor, bathroom, kitchen and closets. the floor plans varied from one apartment to the next, based on proximity to each unit's staircase. the five adjoining units were virtually identical with the exception of the ones on each end (both contained side windows). sadly, the fourth unit was destroyed by fire in 1968 and shortly demolished thereafter. the remains vacant.

note: buff-colored terra cotta cornice or roofline panel salvaged from francisco terrace (demolished 1974).

images courtesy of eric j. nordstrom and the bldg. 51 archive. all rights reserved. 2022.