ABSTRACT
In the case of the SC Johnson complex in Racine, Wisconsin, Frank Lloyd Wright has provided a memorable and light-filled group of workplace buildings, all without using any form of standardised window products or glazing. In 1936, the company’s enlightened young president, Hib Johnson, decided to build a new administration building for the rapidly expanding company and Wright was contacted to design the project. The Great Workroom is a vast open-plan space that is, without any doubt, one of the most remarkable architectural creations of that era; the purpose-made furniture, metal work and precise brick surfaces all appear to swirl harmoniously beneath the massive column heads. The absence of right angles is compelling and this study looks at the audacious design of the clerestory glazing and the later Research Tower that follows suit. Wright never intended to use conventional windows for his openings and instead he hit upon using Pyrex glass tubes of various diameters. It’s as if Frank Lloyd Wright perceived a future for the workplace that was every bit as glamorous as the sleek chromed cars and 1930s cocktail lounges and set out to change the image of stuffy office work forever.
