Chicago Landmarks
 

Robie House

57th St. elevation     Address: 5757 S. Woodlawn Ave.
Year Built: 1909
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: September 15, 1971

Woodlawn Ave. entry Of the more than 75 buildings that Frank Lloyd Wright designed in the Chicago area, none is more famous or influential than this residence, which was designed for Frederick C. Robie, a young manufacturer of bicycles. The affinity of its striking horizontal lines to the flat landscape of the Midwestern prairie came to be associated with an architectural style popularly known as the "Prairie School." The building's low, overhanging roof and the long wall around its base give a sense of privacy to the occupants, while the roof's sweeping horizontality makes the house seem longer and lower than it actually is. This design, which was a marked contrast to traditional houses of the period, signaled a turning point in modern residential architecture.

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