Unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright houses brought to life in 3D
Unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright houses are celebrated in full, modern 3D glory, brought to life by home project specialist Angi

Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Thank you for signing up to Wallpaper. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Intrigued by the fact that over half of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works were never built, home project internet company Angi took on an unusual task: to bring to life some of the midcentury American architecture master’s houses using the magic of contemporary 3D design. ‘Remarkably, more than half of Wright’s 1,171 architectural works never took a solid form. While unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright houses occasionally materialise on the American landscape, 660 of his building designs remain confined to paper,’ says the company.
Three of these unrealised gems were selected to be digitally reconstructed, including Mrs David Devin House (Chicago, 1896), Cottage Studio for Ayn Rand (Connecticut, 1946), and Lake Tahoe Lodge (Lake Tahoe, California, 1923). To transform Wright’s expert and beautiful architectural drawings into photorealistic renders, Angi worked with creative studio NeoMam Studios. The London-based experts went through the architect’s archive sketches, plans and notes, while undertaking thorough research in order to compose a series of images that offer a tangible feel of what the buildings might have looked like, if realised.
‘The most inspiring part of this project was seeing Frank Llyod Wright's forgotten sketches come to life using modern technology. In particular, the plans of Mrs. David Devin House (Chicago, 1896) caught our team's eye because the plans were much more unusual than FLW's other plans and houses - that one became our favourite because it stands out as different to the typical style that FLW is known for,' says the team at NeoMam.
Unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright houses rendered in 3D
The selected projects range in style and scope, displaying Wright’s extensive breadth of work. The Devlin House is an early concept, which employs unusual shapes and expressive ornamentation as the architect was exploring approaches, while other works, such as the Cottage Studio, bring to mind later work – especially the Kaufmann family’s famous Fallingwater. Yet they are all born of the architect’s highly crafted, detailed floorplans and sketches.
‘The most challenging part was designing the floor plans. The design team followed the plans and sketches as closely as possible, but some parts required additional research and an understanding of how existing FLW houses are built. With regards to the interiors, the research team took inspiration from famous FLW buildings, like Taliesin West and Hollyhock House,' the NeoMam team adds.
The trilogy’s third design, the home in Lake Tahoe, in particular, celebrates the value of unbuilt work. The architect has written on it: ‘The best [buildings] had life only on paper,’ wrote Wright in the early 1940s. ‘The most interesting and vital stories might belong to these children of imagination were they ever to encounter the field. Say, the Lake Tahoe project…’
The lodge design feels like a fantasy, utopian settlement, an ode to architecture and passion, a speculative project without a client, flagging up the power that these unrealised Frank Lloyd Wright houses have to fuel our imagination.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture Editor at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018) and Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020).
-
Best new lighting designs to brighten up your space
From ruby red pendants to sculptural table lights, we bring you the brightest moments from the latest in lighting design
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Ceramicist Jonathan Cross on crafting art from desert materials in the Mojave
Jonathan Cross’ flourishing practice incorporates local sand and stones from his base on the edge of Joshua Tree to create minimalist works with a unique patina
By Pei-Ru Keh Published
-
A courtyard pavilion at The OWO provides the perfect outdoor centrepiece
A courtyard pavilion housing Café Lapérouse at The OWO is an architectural feat by DaeWha Kang Design
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Madrone Ridge in California is conceived as habitat for both humans and nature
Madrone Ridge by Field Architecture, set in California’s Sonoma Valley, was designed to deepen its owners' relationship with nature
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Slot Canyon Residence balances openness and seclusion in Palm Springs
Slot Canyon Residence by RIOS, set in the Las Palmas neighbourhood of Palm Springs, strikes a balance between openness and seclusion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
'Emerging Ecologies' at MoMA explores the history of the 'green’ movement
'Emerging Ecologies' opens at MoMA in New York, curated by Ambasz Institute director Carson Chan and seeking the meaning of building 'green'
By Beatrice Galilee Published
-
This Miami office is a workspace filled with rawness and texture
A new Miami office by designer Clive Lonstein balances the warmth and texture of nature with modern workspace
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Bed-Stuy townhouse renovation elevates historic home through contemporary minimalism
Bed-Stuy townhouse renovation by Also Office with Colony brings together past and present through gentle design gestures and strategic redesigns
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Discover Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s Blue Dream house in the Hamptons
A new monograph captures Blue Dream house and the lengthy design and construction process of a quintessential example of contemporary Hamptons architecture
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
2023 Obel Award celebrates Kate Orff’s ecosystem-driven designs
Scape and its founder Kate Orff have scooped the 2023 Obel Award, which celebrates the landscape studio’s Living Breakwaters project
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Perelman Performing Arts Center by REX is New York’s marble-clad cultural gem
The Perelman Performing Arts Center by REX in Manhattan conceals a series of ingenious modular stages
By Pei-Ru Keh Published