Frederick C. Robie House

The Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago is considered an outstanding example of the American Prairie style. Frank Lloyd Wright built it between 1909 and 1910 near the University of Chicago. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright," it has been a National Historic Landmark since 1963. The architecture impresses with broad, projecting rooflines and the use of Roman bricks, which give the building a low, horizontal profile. The entrance is at the back and leads to a lower level with auxiliary rooms, while the main living floor is reached by a staircase beside a massive fireplace. Inside, flowing spaces and layered transitions between indoors and outdoors dominate, for example through generous balconies and terraces. The central living and dining area is interrupted only by the fireplace and opens up differently depending on where you stand. Here you experience a unique blend of private retreat and public presence that still stands as an architectural icon today and has even left its mark on film and literature.