Darwin Martin

I had the chance to see the Martin house in Buffalo. Here are two images: one of the house reflected in the soon-to-open glass visitor center (by toshiko mori) and another of the breezeway that connects the main house to the greenhouse and conservatory. Darwin Martin began working at age 13 as a "soap slinger" and by his mid thirties was a millionare executive at the Larkin soap company. (to read about another Larkin soap slinger turned executive turned utopian socialist see http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,763274,00.html to read about Roycroft founder Elbert Hubbard - all around interesting character) Frank Wright designed this house for Martin which was completed in 1907. Martin lost his fortune, and with it this house, during the great depression. The house fell into disrepair and everything but the main building was razed. Within the last couple years, the house has been restored/rebuilt. Wright is the kind of architect you really want to dislike: On the one hand he claims that: "A man who has individuality has a right to its expression in his own environment." On the other hand, he was a short man designing a house for tall people and using six foot high doors. Apparently, he had a unique interpretation of the phrase 'his own' in the preceding quote. Because the house was rather stunning, it was kind of disappointing to find that someone I secretly hoped was just an egomaniacal hypocrite actually turned out to have also been a genius.