S. C. Johnson Wax's Research Tower
On Friday we toured the S. C. Johnson & Son headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. Johnson Wax's Administration Building and Research Tower are registered U.S. Historic Landmarks and were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, commissioned by H. F. Johnson.
The Research Tower is no longer used, having been declared a safety hazard in 1982 because of its narrow stairwells. The tower is eight stories tall, consisting of a round core surrounded by a square exterior of brick and Pyrex tubing. Each level has a square floor and a round mezzanine overlooking it — you can sort of see the round core mezzanines in the photo here if you squint.
Wright hit upon the idea of using Pyrex tubing as "windows" as a way to admit natural light while obscuring the view of anything outside. He originally wanted to build the facilities on the prairie outside of Racine, but when the Johnsons sited it in the city for practicality, the tubing allowed him to block the employees' views of surrounding buildings.
More here: my.journaltimes.com/post/wright-in-racine/a_rare_tour_ins...
S. C. Johnson Wax's Research Tower
On Friday we toured the S. C. Johnson & Son headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin. Johnson Wax's Administration Building and Research Tower are registered U.S. Historic Landmarks and were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, commissioned by H. F. Johnson.
The Research Tower is no longer used, having been declared a safety hazard in 1982 because of its narrow stairwells. The tower is eight stories tall, consisting of a round core surrounded by a square exterior of brick and Pyrex tubing. Each level has a square floor and a round mezzanine overlooking it — you can sort of see the round core mezzanines in the photo here if you squint.
Wright hit upon the idea of using Pyrex tubing as "windows" as a way to admit natural light while obscuring the view of anything outside. He originally wanted to build the facilities on the prairie outside of Racine, but when the Johnsons sited it in the city for practicality, the tubing allowed him to block the employees' views of surrounding buildings.
More here: my.journaltimes.com/post/wright-in-racine/a_rare_tour_ins...