H O M E F R O N T

A BAUHAUS MASTERPIECE

t a glance, the buff-colored residencenestled among the more traditional homeson Woodland Road seems an oddity,an almost institutional-looking structureresplendent in its obscurity. The maturetrees that soften its façade testify to the

fact that the home has stood on its spot for many years—70, to be exact—yet few have noticed. Until now.To be sure, architectural historians and other

cognoscenti have known about the Frank House since itwas completed in 1940. One of only a dozen or so privatehomes in America designed by Walter Gropius, thefounder of the Bauhaus school of modernism, it is the onlyone to remain virtually intact. But the home’s importanceextends beyond its graceful, sweeping curves and the can-tilevered staircase that seems to float on air. Hundreds ofpieces of furniture were created for the residence byMarcel Breuer, another famed member of the Bauhaus,

and they remain exactly where they were designed to beplaced. It’s as if this joint effort by two of the most signif-icant architects of the 20th century has been frozen intime.To see the home today, with its original textiles and

hide chair coverings, the Lucite handles and table legs, thesteel sconces that look ultra-contemporary, even the door-bell housing with its sleek stainless design, is a rare andremarkable glimpse at the very foundations ofmodernism.“This is the nation’s crown jewel,” the late J. Carter Brown,

H O M E F R O N T

A

A BAUHAUS MASTERPIECE

31 pittsburgh quarterly | winter 2011

>>

materials of modernism above: Kasota stone

from Minnesota covers the exterior of the 12,000 square

foot residence designed by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius

and completed in 1940. opposite: A soaring, three-story

window wall and the first example of Marcel Breuer’s

signature “independent slab risers” give the home its drama.

Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer collaborated on theFrank House, which remains virtually intact 70 years later

written by m a ry ly n n u r i cc h i o

Pho

togr

aphy

byEz

raSto

llerin

1941,

and

Ric

hard

Bar

nes

from

2008–1

0.

Instead of hard-edgedminimalism, Gropius gavethem sensuous curves

33 pittsburghquarterly.com

a treasure troveBreuer designed hundreds of pieces of furniture for the Frank House—two thirds

of his creative output during his American years. The pieces exist nowhere else

and are covered in their original fabrics. above: The dining room features Lucite

table legs and opens onto a rear dining patio. right: The wet bar is in the ground

floor recreation room.

opposite, top to bottom: Photos taken by Ezra Stoller in 1941 show the study with

a conservatory window for plants, a view into the home from the rear gardens

and the swimming pool with a sliding glass wall that opens to the outside lawns.

former director of the National Gallery of Art,said of the Frank House. And Barry Bergdoll,chief curator of architecture and design for theMuseum of Modern Art, has called the FrankHouse “the culmination of the ideal of the com-plete environment” long pursued by theBauhaus and the European avant-garde. “InPittsburgh they realized their masterpiece ofthe integration of architecture, furnishings andlandscape.” Bergdoll goes further, describingthe residence as “an exceptional historical doc-ument, as well as a major monument ofAmerican architectural art and architecturalhistory.”That the Frank House has survived is due

largely to the fact that it has been home to theFrank family for three generations. Cecilia andRobert Frank, an engineer and a founder ofCopperweld Steel, commissionedGropius afterhearing him give a lecture in Pittsburgh. In1936 the architect fled from Germany tobecome head of the Architecture Departmentat Harvard. He also set up a private architectur-al practice with his protégé, Breuer, and theFrank House was the largest and most impor-tant residence they designed.During his many trips to Pittsburgh,

Gropius met with the Franks and also receivednumerous long letters from Robert sharing thecouple’s ideas and desires for the new home.“They considered him the world’s leading archi-

>>

tect,” says Alan I W Frank, their son andthe home’s present owner. The result wasa “machine for living” that incorporatedinnovative mechanical systems in somecases designed by Robert and madeby Copperweld. An energy conservationsystem used water from the indoor swim-ming pool to help heat and cool the house.An integral air-cleaning system fought thegrit of a steel town, while an internalphone system announced whom the callwas for by flashing a light signal. Evenmore astonishing, the home boastedlawn-covered green roofs and used solarenergy long before they became p.c.Yet it was the Franks request for “a

warm and friendly feeling” that trulymade the house a home. They wanted toraise their three children in a comfortableenvironment, entertain frequently, andlead a healthy life in a residence designedto encourage just that. Instead of hard-edged minimalism, Gropius gave themsensuous curves, earthy colors and naturalmaterials including travertine, pearwoodand English sycamore. The abundance ofglass walls and five outside terraces bringthe outside in, uniting the landscape,furnishings and structural elements into aseamless vision of Bauhaus bliss.“Everything about this house was cre-

ated to make it an extraordinarily livablehome… and it was. A wonderful, exciting,happy place,” says Frank.But the ravages of time have taken a

toll on the Frank House. Decades of sun-light have faded fabrics, and the wear andtear of family life have left their mark.Some cracked plaster and other superfi-cial signs of age are apparent, and yet thefact that the house has never beenrepaired is what makes it supremely valu-able. Like a fine antique, the patina bearsthe imprint of the makers and, as such, isboth a priceless record and resource.Interestingly, Frank Lloyd Wright’s

Fallingwater was completed three yearsbefore the Frank House and commis-

pittsburgh quarterly | winter 2011 34

>>

“This is the nation’scrown jewel.”— J. Carter Brown

form and functionabove: The first-floor reception hall

was designed for entertaining and

connects the bar, dining room and

living room. Curved walls of pear-

wood and English sycamore create

warmth and contrast with new-age

materials like Lucite and stainless

steel. left: A glimpse into the guest

room, one of nine bedrooms includ-

ing the servant’s quarters on the

third floor. opposite: Steel, reinforced

concrete, stone and glass were the

hallmarks of modernism and united

form to function. The home’s drama

comes to life in this nighttime view.

35 pittsburgh quarterly | winter 2011

It was the Franks’ request for “a warm and friendlyfeeling” that truly made the house a home.

H O M E F R O N T

sioned by another prominent Pittsburgh family, the Kaufmanns. LikeFallingwater, plans are afoot to restore the FrankHouse and turn it intoa house museum. To that end, the Alan IWFrank House Foundation,a 501(c)(3) public charity, was created last year to preserve the home.“My mother and dad created the house, I have preserved it andbrought it into the 21st century, and for the house to be enjoyed byfuture generations, the community needs to step in and becomeinvolved,” Frank says.The initial $32 million the foundation hopes to raise will be used to

purchase the home, restore it to its original condition, create anendowment to ensure permanent preservation and fund programmingand operating expenses. More programming and a visitor’s centerwould be part of a second campaign phase.With three important house museums (if one includes Clayton, the

also-intact though much earlier home of Henry Clay Frick), Pittsburghwould become a critical destination for anyone interested in the histo-ry of residential architecture. But even on its own, the Frank House isextraordinary—a living testament to the Bauhaus and its ideals thatlooks every bit as modern today as it did when the home was built.

For further information, contact The Alan I W Frank Foundation,96 E. Woodland Road, Pittsburgh PA 15232; call (412) 441-2000 or e-mailArank25@aol.compq

Marylynn Uricchio is the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s society editor andSeen columnist.

>>

What does Santahave in store for you?

wallace • towle2010 ornaments

SQUIRREL HILL5820 Forbes Avenue • 412.521.2500

ALLISON PARKDuncan Manor Shopping Center • 412.635.0122

www.contemporaryconcepts.com

Find timeless treasures here!