The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Reserve aims to preserve the famous American architect’s existing building, recently announced that it has acquired 11 original works for Wright, designed for the price tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
“While the reserve does not normally buy architectural artifacts, this rare acquisition is intended to prevent further sales and dispersion of these items and ensure that they ultimately return to the price tower,” the Conservation Association said in a statement released online on August 7.
Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservation Association called the acquisition a “extraordinary step” after “continuous advocacy and lengthy negotiations” pointed out that the 19-storey structure artifacts were protected in their preservation easements but were sold in the spring of 2024 without our permission. ”
The 11 projects include the original hall steering panel of the skyscraper, armchairs, three copper tables, two stools and four unique embossed copper plates. They are currently in the Dallas area storage.
In 2006, a tour exhibition at the National Museum of Architecture in Washington, D.C. included copper panels from Price Tower, unincited, left and right images. Photos of Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Washington Post via Getty Im
“Each of these items is an integral part of Wright’s architectural vision for the Price Tower, which itself means a lot to its extraordinary design, the only skyscraper built by one of the greatest architects in the United States,” the reserve writes. “We intend these items to be part of the visitor’s price tower experience again.”
Barbara Gordon, executive director of the Conservation Association, said the organization’s priority is to place artifacts outside the private market and the private market with the goal of returning them to the building.
“Purchasing allows us to protect our human rights-protected items in the context of uncertainty and high costs of legal action,” Gordon said in a statement. “We are very grateful to our generous donors who have enabled us to preserve these unique Wright-designed items.”
Earlier this year, Presta finally changed hands for $1.4 million after Washington County Judge Russell Vaclaw ruled on January 21.
As Artnews “The resolution forced a contract between current owners, Copper Tree and Green Copper Holdings (called the copper entity) and Tulsa-based McFalling Construction, a Tulsa-based McFalling Construction Company, in May 2023.”
The January sale resulted in a six-month dispute, which was complicated by the copper entity’s sale of fixtures in the building, some of which were sold for breach of preservation agreements. The copper tube entity started auctioning the items last summer due to financial pressures due to debt estimated at $2 million. However, a clause in McFalling’s contract requires the sale of all fixtures of the price tower, including items designed by specific designs.
