V. C. Morris Gift Shop
Encyclopedia
The V. C. Morris Gift Shop is located at 140 Maiden Lane
in San Francisco, California
, USA, and was renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright
in 1948. The store was used by Wright as a physical prototype
, or proof of concept
for the circular ramp at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
.
Xanadu Gallery, the current owner, spent a significant sum to restore the building to Wright's vision. It indicated that while retrofitting the building for current amenities (such as air conditioning
) was difficult, there have been no roof leaks.
All of the built-in furniture
is constructed out of black walnut
, is original to the renovation, and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself.
The V.C. Morris Gift Shop was listed in 2007 at number 126 on the American Institute of Architects
' list of the 150 favorite buildings in America.
Maiden Lane (San Francisco)
Maiden Lane is a short, pedestrian-only street in San Francisco, California. It is notable for its proximity to Union Square and its concentration of upscale retailers, including Chanel, Marc Jacobs, and Yves Saint Laurent. It is also home to Frank Lloyd Wright's V. C...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, USA, and was renovated by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
in 1948. The store was used by Wright as a physical prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
, or proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
for the circular ramp at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
.
Xanadu Gallery, the current owner, spent a significant sum to restore the building to Wright's vision. It indicated that while retrofitting the building for current amenities (such as air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
) was difficult, there have been no roof leaks.
All of the built-in furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
is constructed out of black walnut
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra, the Eastern Black walnut, is a species of flowering tree in the hickory family, Juglandaceae, that is native to eastern North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central...
, is original to the renovation, and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself.
The V.C. Morris Gift Shop was listed in 2007 at number 126 on the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
' list of the 150 favorite buildings in America.
External links
- V.C. Morris Store, 140 Maiden Lane, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA - American Memory from the Library of Congress
- V. C. Morris gift Shop
- Xanadu Gallery