Robie House, Prairie style residential landmark in Hyde Park, Chicago, United States
Robie House is a three-story residence at 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue in Hyde Park, Chicago, completed in 1910. Its long, flat cantilevered roofs project beyond walls of red-brown Roman brick on a light gray stone base, and the interior is organized as two offset rectangles called vessels.
Fred Robie bought the corner lot at 5757 South Woodlawn Avenue in May 1908, and Wright's design was built by the H. B. Barnard Co. from April 1909, finished in June 1910. The Robies sold the house in 1911 after about fourteen months. The Chicago Theological Seminary bought it in 1926 and used it as a dormitory, meeting space and classrooms, attempting demolition in 1941 and 1957.
The house takes its name from Frederick Robie, a businessman in the bicycle industry who wanted a home that would offer privacy while letting in light. Wright arranged each room around the central fireplace, which served as a spatial center for family life.
Visitors can view the interior during organized tours that run on several days each week in the morning and afternoon. Tickets should be booked in advance, as group sizes are limited and spaces fill quickly.
The art glass windows with geometric patterns were custom-designed for each room and filter daylight without blocking the view outside. Wright also designed most of the furniture for the house, so that each piece echoes the horizontal lines of the architecture.
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