Building Blocks on the Grassland: On the Concept of Nature and the Causes of Wright's Organic Architecture Thought

Abstract

Wright was the most internationally influential American architect of the 20th century. Although his emphasis on the properties and technology of modern industrial materials made him a landmark figure in modernist architectural design, his exploration of dynamic spaces in architecture and reflection on the relationship between humans and nature fundamentally led him to deviate from modernism and move towards postmodernism. This article aims to explore the origin of Wright's core natural view of organic architecture and the process of its design practice development and evolution. Tracing back the deep-rooted influence of Wright's childhood toy Froebel building blocks and farm life experiences, this paper analyzes the differences in the application of natural elements between Wright and his teacher Louis Sullivan, as well as his gradual breaking of the modernist "square box" under the influence of Eastern aesthetic thought.