Unity Temple: Frank Lloyd Wright and Architecture for Liberal Religion

The first in-depth study of one of the seminal works of America’s most renowned twentieth-century architect is now available in paperback. In this study, Joseph Siry examines the building in the light of Wright’s earlier religious architecture, his methods of design, and his innovative construction techniques, particularly the use of reinforced concrete which was here exploited and expressively deployed for the first time. He also sets Unity Temple against the tradition of the liberal Unitarian and Universalist religious culture, the institutional history of the affluent Oak Park congregation that commissioned the building, as well as the social context in which structure was conceived and built. Throughout, Unity Temple is treated as a work of art that embodies both Wright’s theory of architecture and his liberal religious ideals.

• First full-length study of Unity Temple • Interdisciplinary - covers architecture and religion • Contains many illustrations

1. Religious and institutional architecture of the Lloyd Jones family; 2. Unity Church in Oak Park to 1905; 3. Wright’s design for Unity Temple; 4. Construction of Unity Temple; 5. Religious and architectural interpretations of Unity Temple; Conclusion: Unity Temple and later modern architecture.