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River Forest Tennis Club (1906 S.119) |
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When the River Forest Tennis Club caught fire and burned in
1905, Wright was tapped to redesign their building. Although
their have been many additions, including a move in 1920,
The original design was a precursor to the Banff Pavilion.
Much can be gained by studying
the plans of the River Forest Tennis Club. "Wright referred to the
(Banff) pavilion as a more
substantial version of the River Forest Tennis Club"
(LWp116). The Tennis Club was 204 feet long, the Pavilion
was 200. One end included a Ladies Locker Room and a Kitchen. The
other end a Men's Locker Room. The three Fireplaces included built-in seating. Doors opened outward from
the expansive interior, in essence, removing the wall which
lead to an open Terrace which ran more than half the
length of the building. Wright designed each |
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end by rotating a square 90
degrees. One distinctive design element Wright used in the
Tennis Club and repeated in the Pavilion may have been
unique to these two buildings. On either side of the Men's
and Women's Locker rooms was a elongated row of Balustrated windows, or as Wright specified in the Tennis
Club, 4"x4" Vertical Spindles with glass between. This
allowed natural light in, while providing a measure of
privacy. This design was repeated on behind the built-in
seating of the two end fireplaces. This enclosed the area
near the fireplaces and added a measurer of intimacy, much
like his tall back chairs surrounding some of his dining
room tables. It was also on either side of the center
fireplace, and ran from entry to entry. |
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1: River Forest Tennis
Club. Wright's original rendering for the "Ausgeführte
Bauten und Entwürfe von Frank Lloyd Wright", Published
by Ernst Wasmuth A.-G., Berlin, 1910. Plate XLII. |
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2: Banff National Park
Pavilion. Wright's original rendering indicates stucco
siding rather than "board and batten" which was added to the
original plans and used in construction. Stucco was used in
the construction of the Lake Geneva Hotel (see
below)
(S.171), also designed in 1911.
Courtesy of Frank Lloyd
Wright Foundation and Horizon Press. |
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3: Wright Membership Card
1907. This may be one of the earliest photographs of the
Tennis Club. Wright designed the Logo seen on either side of
the photograph. (Membership Card possibly designed by
Wright, but not confirmed.)
Courtesy of Wisconsin
Historical Society. |
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3b: Wright Membership Card
1907. Detail. This may be one of the earliest
photographs of the Tennis Club. |
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4: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1910. Photographed by H. Fuermann & Co.
Published in "Frank
Lloyd Wright, Ausgeführte
Bauten"
1911, page 97, by Ernst Wasmuth A.-G., Berlin. |
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4b: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1910. Detail, left side. |
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4c: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1910. Detail, center. |
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4d: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1910. Detail, right side. |
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5: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1940. Photographed by Gilman Lane. |
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5b: River Forest Tennis
Club circa 1940. Detail. Photographed by Gilman Lane. |
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