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Prairie Architects, Inc. |
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Wingspread Conference Center Racine, Wisconsin |
Wingspread was the site of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous leaky roof story: when Herbert Johnson called Wright to complain of a skylight leaking directly upon his head, Wright responded, "Move you chair!" Wingspread's skylights continued to leak for the next 54 years until Prairie Architects designed 120 leakproof replacements that precisely mimic the appearance o f Wright's original design, while incorporating state-of-the-art glass bending and insulating technologies. Prairie Architects also provided architectural restoration of services for masonry and the re-design / replacement of half of the clay tile roofing in a range of custom colors that precisely duplicate the original color palette. |
Skylight and Roof Restoration |
Recommendations |
Roofing Systems and Flashing -- The original red tile and black flat roofs were a part of Wright's monochromatic color scheme. No original clay tile or bituminous roofing materials remain in place at Wingspread. The entire clay roof was replaced between 1984 and 1993, nearly reaching the 50 year service life warrantied by the manufacturer. Bituminous roofing had been replaced by copper flat seam roofs between 1984 and 1993. We recommended that the copper be painted black to restore the original color scheme. Wright went to great lengths to conceal flashing at Wingspread, despite his clear understanding of the mechanics of flashing and water. Over the years conventional flashings were installed to alleviate problems. We recommended that flashings be composed of paintable materials which are painted to match their surroundings. In some cases we recommended that sacrificial cypress surfaces be installed on top of flashing. Skylight Systems -- Wright provided a variety of skylight conditions at Wingspread, including the three rings of skylights in the Living Room, and the small square skylights along the corridors of the North, East, and West Wings. All of these skylights received the brunt of displeasure due to perennial leaks, particularly in the Living Room. Not until Prairie Architects were the Living Room skylights replaced with a construction technology meeting Wright's original intention. Caution was given to the handling and reinstallation of these new skylight units during 1995 repairs as they proved difficult to fabricate, transport, and install. |
Prairie Architects, Inc. -- 103 South Third Street -- Fairfield, Iowa 52556 |