Designed in 1923 to accompany the synthesized interior of the John Storer House in Hollywood, California, this iron and glass hanging lamp epitomizes Frank Lloyd Wright’s deconstructed Prairie aesthetic and its relationship to the organic architecture of modern design movements during the 1920s.

Textile Block Homes,
Geometry and Nature

One of Three Hanging Lamps from the John Storer Residence

In 1923, John Storer, a homeopathic physician based in Los Angeles, commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to build a home in the Hollywood Hills. It was the first residence designed by Wright to use the new construction method of cast concrete textile blocks molded with geometric motifs evocative of Mayan revival styles. The resulting design appeared as if it had emerged from the hills, revealed through openings in the lush landscape surrounding it. The rhythmic linear motifs of the molded concrete blocks were also evident in the interior of the home, reflected in both the surfaces of the walls and the floor plan of the house itself which included two floors and multiple open-air terraces.

The present lot, one of three examples created for the house, was situated in the main floor living room across from the dining area, flanking the large central fireplace. Wright included tall banks of windows throughout the home that flooded the space with natural light. At night, the interior was illuminated with light fixtures such as the present lot that punctuated the space like torches in an ancient temple. Wright’s use of the textile blocks blended the interior and exterior construction, synthesizing the built environment with the natural surroundings.