SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower
H.F. Johnson Jr., the third-generation head of SC Johnson and Son, wanted to expand and create a unique headquarters for the Johnson Wax Company in Racine, Wisconsin. Johnson sought out Frank Lloyd Wright in 1936 to bring his modern ideas to fruition and the result was innovative buildings and work spaces. After it was completed, Johnson was quoted saying, “Anybody can build a typical building. I wanted to build the best office building in the world, and the only way to do that was to get the greatest architect in the world.” Wright gladly took this commission during a low point in his career, although it was at the expense of his clients. The building's proposed cost was $200,000, but it ended up costing Johnson six times that at $1.2 million. Indeed, Wright splurged on many aspects of the buildings including large dendriforms, pyrex glass tubing, and lavish furnishings. The end result paid off. As you enter both the Administration Building and Research Tower, visitors instantly see a grand space reflecting Wright's innovative style and use of Cherokee red.
Administration Building
It was well known that Wright was not fond of the location chosen for the Administration Building. The urban, industrial setting was ugly to Wright, so he designed the building with the idea of blocking out the surroundings. The building was set up with a "Great Workroom" on the first floor and private offices around the perimeter of the building on the upper levels. “Birdcage” elevators are used to travel between floors. This open concept allows workers easy access to people in other departments, which promotes teamwork and collaboration. This design also allows bosses to keep an eye on the workers throughout the day. Unifying the work space, there is a theme of red. Wright designed the building using a specific color in mind. The Cherokee red provides energy in the work space, without being too powerful and loud.
The building is most well-known for its dendriform columns in the Great Workroom. They are to resemble trees with tops over 18 feet in diameter. The structural engineers and other workers on this job did not believe that the columns would be strong enough. Wright proved them wrong when the dendriform passed with flying colors by holding up substantially more weight than thought. These dendriforms worked alongside with skylights to give the illusion of being outdoors with natural sunlight beaming down. The windows also played a role in this. Pyrex glass tubes were put in place rather than normal glass windows in order to create a glistening effect through bending the light. These tubes also helped Wright to block out the ugly scenery outside by blurring the workers’ vision.
Furniture
A brand new, state-of-the-art building also needed original furniture. Wright designed desks and chairs to fill the work space. Both pieces continued the Cherokee red color and innovation of the building. The desk was designed with three levels of work space to maximize the functionality and to help with keeping the desks looking clean after hours. The lower shelf is used to put unfinished work at the end of the day, so the main level was clean and professional looking. One end of the desk has an attached waste bin, and the other has three deep drawers. The drawers pull out by swinging open towards the workers for convenience and full use of space. The chairs originally designed had three wheels with tilted backs. After a short period, Johnson had received complaints about the poor comfort level and frequent tipping, so he asked Wright for a new design. Wright then made a similar chair but with four legs.
Research Tower
With the company rapidly expanding, Johnson wanted a new building for his scientists to test products and invent new ones. Johnson went to Wright for this addition, and the building was complete in 1950. The design of the Research Tower was based off the principle of cantilevering. This 15 story building is held using a 13 foot diameter central core. Around the core are alternating circular and square floors. Each pair of circular and square floors were designed to work together as a department. Wright continued the use of Cherokee red and the pyrex glass tubes.
Works Cited
Craven, Jackie. "Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture- A Selection of Buildings." About. About, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.<http://architecture.about.com/od/franklloydwright/ig/Frank-Lloyd-Wright/Johnson-Wax-Building.htm>.
"The Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings at SC Johnson." SC Johnson. SC Johnson, 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://scjohnson.com/en/company/architecture/Wright-Buildings.aspx>.
Russell, James S. "Under the Lily Pads: Frank Lloyd Wright's SC Johnson Administration Building." Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones and Company, 1 Aug. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. <http://www.wsj.com/articles/masterpiece-sc-johnson-administration-building-1406939442>.
