House for Tazaemon Yamamura

1. House forTazaemon Yamamura A Frank Lloyd Wright House By: Isaac Jensen and Miranda Robinson

2. The wright love Mamah borthwick Cheney 1903-1914 Olgivanna (olga) lazovich 1924-death • Miriam noel 1914-1924

3. Midway gardens • Midway gardens was a good commission for wright, who’s reputation was being recovered from the scandal. • It was completed in1914 and demolished in1929 after several owners. • Demolition was so time consuming and expensive the demolition company went bankrupt. • Wright argued with the sculptor of the gardens to the point that when ianneli was offered a part in • the imperial • hotel, he turned • it down.

4. Imperial hotel • Wright won the contract for the imperial hotel in 1912. he never saw the completion of the structure. • Due to the intensity of the project, wright spent the majority of years from 1917 to 1922 in japan overseeing the construction. • Used the concept of friction piles and floating foundations in the construction of the hotel.

5. Japanese Prints • Wright felt that his buildings were more greatly influenced by the art of japan rather than the land itself. Example Japanese Print (Not drawn by Wright) • Throughout his lifetime he collected Japanese prints. • When the fire occurred at Taliesin he lost a fortune in prints. • During his stay in japan he slowly replaced his destroyed collection with a new one. He also traded prints and sold them quite frequently.

6. The wright love Mamah borthwick Cheney 1903-1914 Olgivanna (olga) lazovich 1924-death • Miriam noel 1914-1924

7. Architects: Wright and Endo • Yamamura house was not designed by wright alone. He shared credit with arata endo for this structure and for the jiyo gakuen school. This was the first time he ever shared credit for a design. • Wright never saw the completion for the house. He left japan never to return in 1922. this same year minami a partner of endo, began construction of yamamura house. Arata Endo

8. Architects: Endo • Endo was devoted to wright, he was the chief draftsman for the imperial hotel and followed his visions to the letter. • Endo’s works are very well known in japan, in particular the koshien hotel in 1930. • Endo’s Son raku endo was also very famous for his own wright influenced designs. The Imperial Hotel • Wright called the koshien hotel “the little imperial”.

9. Tazaemon Yamamura • Sake brewer (8th generation with the name tazaemon Yamamura) at Sakura Masamune Brewery (currently still open) • Home served as a summer villa for the family Great-Grandson Tazaemon Yamamura

10. Building History • 1918 – Basic design finished. • 1924 – Construction finished. • May 1974 – Designated a National Important Cultural Property. • 1985-1988 – Repair construction for preservation. Detail of a window from the outside

11. Building History • 1989 – Opened to public as Yodoko Guest House. • 1995 – Damaged by the Great Hashin-Awaji Earthquake. • 1995-1998 – Repairs due to earthquake. • 1998 – Re-opened to public.

12. The Design: Outside • A long driveway leads up to the building. • At the end of the driveway is the porch, opening to the east and west. • The house sits on a ridge overlooking the city of Ashiya. View of the porch from drive

13. Oya Stone • To Wright the “virtues of oya stone depended on it’s properties and appearance, not it’s cost”. • Consists of a light lava rock, easily carved for patterns. Oya Stone from The Imperial Hotel • Pitted like travertine. • Used in the construction of imperial hotel and yamamura • Many individuals argued the quality of the stone.

14. The Design: Porch • The porch is a wide rectangle shape. • Inside the porch and adjacent to the main entrance is a large stone flower bowl. Detail of porch pillar • The flower bowl is fed by a stone pillar which leads rainwater down from the roof. Inside the Porch

15. The Design: Entry and Landing • Mahogany framework and decorative light fixtures accent the staircases. • various staircases lead to different levels in the house. • transitions between rooms are intensified by varied ceiling heights. Decorative framework

16. The Design: Salon • Couches are built into the walls under the windows. • Decorative doors on the south wall open to a spacious balcony with great views of the landscape. Oyaishi fireplace and windows • Matching the doors are built in shelves and cabinets. • On the north wall is a massive Oyaishi stone fireplace. Built in shelving and cabinetry

17. The Design: Third Floor • Many decorative windows line the walls of the hallway. • These windows provide natural lighting. • This is seen in other areas of the house and blurs the distinction between the inside and outside. Decorative window design

18. The Design: Japanese Room • Japanese room was done as a request from the owner during the construction period. Because wright was not involved, this change occurred. • The room has traditional tatami mats and doors, with sparse Japanese design. Layout of the Japanese Room

19. Wright’s Designs for Japan Sketches by Wright of other Japanese Style Buildings that were not built

20. Transition from Prairie to Usonian • Wright started to transition from prairie to Usonian from 1909 to 1935 • The four California block houses were the beginning of usonian and some design aspects are reflected at Yamamura. Top: Prarie Style House Bottom: Usonian Style House • A majority of wright’s houses are multilevel. • Developed a preference for patterned concrete.

21. It’s obvious we must take a building’s function into account. But we must also understand the people who use it, the spirit that moves them, and the hopes that inspire them. That’s why architecture is the highest cultural expression of mankind. Indeed it’s culture itself. It expresses the world around us…it’s the only trace and remembrance we leave directly on the face of the earth.-- Frank Lloyd wright