Look whose palette is one with nature.
Fallingwater®, named by the American Institute of Architects in 1991 as "the best all-time work of American Architecture," was in need of a paint job. One that would restore the historic landmark's original beauty, and honor Frank Lloyd Wright's dedication to blending architecture with nature.
Enter the partnership of PPG Pittsburgh Paints, The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Fallingwater. With brushes and color cards in hand, the team would match the original 1936 colors.
"Fallingwater's relationship with PPG goes back to the very creation of the house, when Frank Lloyd Wright specified PPG glass for the building," said Lynda Waggoner, Vice President and Director of Fallingwater. "This historic association continues today as we work together on a number of efforts, including solving Fallingwater's chronic paint issues. PPG experts developed a special paint system for the house and we worked together to create the new Fallingwater paint palette. We are deeply indebted to PPG, a company that shares our passion for this great building."
Using an in-depth color analysis performed by Fallingwater, color stylist Andrea Piontek and PPG Pittsburgh Paints' Research and Development Team, PPG Pittsburgh Paints was able to develop a color card to capture Fallingwater's new, "old look."
"Color was very important in conveying Wright's aesthetic of organic architecture as a unified whole. He drew from two sources in determining his palette for a given project: the nature of the site and the nature of the building materials. In the early projects, particularly the Prairie houses that were constructed of brick and stucco, autumnal colors predominate: warm shades of red, gold, brown and yellow-green. These restful yet intense colors were accented by a palette of related hues and created a harmonious, unified and serene environment for the client. At Fallingwater, Wright employed both a limited palette of color and a limited number of materials in his desire to create an organic and integrated whole," explained Waggoner.
PPG is committed to creating fresh and inspirational color palettes like Fallingwater®. Bring the palette home, and you just might hear the sound of a tumbling waterfall.
Advanced Color Solutions at Work
