Wright’s Facade Relief as Acoustic Wall by Offect

Frank Lloyd Wright was someone who thought about system construction methods long ago. In his autobiography published in 1932 he mentions: “Always the desire to get some system of building construction as a basis for architecture was my objective – my hope.” Intertwined concrete blocks seemed suitable to him for that purpose. “It might be permanent, noble, beautiful. It would be cheap.” Wright’s constructions of prepoured modular concrete blocks became known as Textile Block houses. Four ­private residences built in Los Angeles between 1923 and 1924 are based on this concept. In his design of the facade the focus was on ­individuality instead of uniformity. That is why the largest and only remaining building from that time, the residence of Mabel and Charles Ennis, is clad with ­square facade and wall panels in an asymmetric geometric relief ­structure.

At the start of 2018 the Swedish furniture manufacturer Offecct launched the Edition ­collection, which is based on masterpieces from the history of architecture and design. So far the series includes a table by the Swedish architect Sven Markelius from 1930 and, in cooperation with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, acoustic panels that adorn the famous facade pattern on the Ennis house.

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