Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator who helped shape twentieth-century architecture. Over a career spanning seven decades, he designed more than 1,000 structures and became one of the most influential figures in modern architecture. In 1991, the American Institute of Architects named him “the greatest American architect of all time.”
Wright is especially associated with Organic architecture, a philosophy that sought harmony between buildings, people, and the natural environment. This approach is often exemplified by Fallingwater, widely regarded as one of the finest works of American architecture. He was also a pioneer of the Prairie School movement and later developed the concept of the Usonian house as part of his broader vision for Broadacre City, an American model of urban planning.
His work extended beyond house design to include churches, schools, offices, hotels, museums, and skyscrapers, often with integrated interior elements such as leaded glass windows, furniture, floors, and tableware. Wright also wrote books and articles, lectured widely in the United States and Europe, and mentored many apprentices through his Taliesin Fellowship. In 2019, a selection of his buildings was inscribed as a World Heritage Site under the title The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Raised in rural Wisconsin, Wright studied civil engineering at the University of Wisconsin and worked in Chicago before opening his own practice in 1893. He later established a studio at his home in Oak Park, Illinois. His personal life attracted public attention, including his relationships with Mamah Borthwick and Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, and the 1914 murders at his Taliesin estate.