The Alan I W Frank House

The Alan I W Frank House is a modernist residence in Pittsburgh featuring a curved glass facade and split-level design spread across four stories. The home contains nine bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms distributed throughout its interconnected floors.

Completed in 1940 for the Frank family, the house represented Walter Gropius' largest architectural commission after his Bauhaus period and before his Harvard teaching role. This project marked a turning point in Gropius' transition to American practice.

The house demonstrates how European design principles shaped American residential living and continues to influence modern home concepts today. The rooms display custom furnishings that show the relationship between building design and interior arrangement.

The residence features air purification systems, built-in communication networks, and climate control distributed throughout its levels for comfortable living. Modern projection equipment and integrated home systems are embedded within the architectural design.

Marcel Breuer designed two-thirds of his furniture collection specifically for this commission, experimenting with new materials and finishing methods. These pieces showcase Breuer's boldest technical innovations that he did not develop so extensively elsewhere.

Location: Pittsburgh

Inception: 1940

Website: http://thefrankhouse.org

GPS coordinates: 40.44970,-79.92250

Latest update: December 10, 2025 20:02