For example, when asked the question, "Do you own a Porsche?", his answer would be "No", and that would be correct! And he'd win a million dollars, or something else.
The other day, out of the blue, he said to me, "You know Frank Lloyd Wright designed a showroom for Porsches".
I had to do a double-take ... I couldn't believe the two names could be mentioned in the one sentence. So, to prove his point, he showed me a lot of photos. Sly dog.
This is really the best photo I could scour from the Internet. According to the Husband, that is a Porsche 356 Speedster on display. And if you asked Child 2, he'd say it was a 'sweet ride'.
The story goes that Austrian-born Max Hoffman, an importer of European cars to America, asked Lloyd-Wright to design a New York showroom for Jaguars in 1954. The Showroom had a revolving display turntable on which three or four cars could be displayed, and then a spiralled ramp which wrapped up the rear to a cantilevered balcony. As part of his commission, Lloyd-Wright received two Mercedes Benz's.
The Hoffman Auto Showroom was a precursor to the Guggenheim Museum which has a similar curved-ramp design, which you all know and I don't have to tell you.
This is the showroom today.
It's now "Mercedes Benz Manhattan".
The mirrored pillars and mirrored Mercedes Benz star on the ceiling are a bit of a cheap distraction, as far as I'm concerned. They were added in 1981.
Lloyd Wright also designed Max Hoffman's house. Below ...
Lloyd Wright also designed Max Hoffman's house. Below ...
Fin
(or 'Spin', in this case, due to the revolving turntable and, often people like to take their expensive European sportcars out for a 'spin'. Get it?)
Love the new banner. What a sweet library bag it would make.
ReplyDeleteI really like those old porches like the one James Dean drove. Very cool. Much cooler than current models :)
ReplyDeleteI like the house very much. Have you seen the Brady Bunch lately. I have been lusting after that house only to discover today that the exterior was completely different to the interior- duh!! I mean the interior wasn't even based on the real house. The real house still exists but is only single story. Sorry for rabbiting on!!
No one does cantilever (spelling??) like FLW. Oh i'll design any car dealer anything for a free car or two, thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteWishing you well in your Porsche dreams, do the old ones get expensive again because they are a nicer design & have vintage charm?? I think Jerry Seinfeld collects them, maybe you can borrow one??
Thanks for all the Mercedes outlet address for next time in Manhatten & need a new car, shopping sorted!! Love Posie
Spin. I love it. You're such a smarty pants. I'm glad you and the hubby can bond over the porsche and I'm sure it's a sweet ride. I touched a porsche once.
ReplyDeleteGot it. I read a book on FLW recently and apparently he was quite a bugger. He demanded a fleet of cars from one of the auto dealers he was designing for. And of course he got what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't be commenting here: I don't know who Frank Lloyd Wright is, and I can't see the difference between a Porche and a Toyota. I like Reader 3's approach to the problem... (what's 'rabbiting out'?) Lilli :)
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ReplyDeletealways thinking!
SarahB,
I spent a great deal of time yesterday feeling somewhat deceived by the producers of The Brady Bunch ... I was under the impression that house was as it was portrayed.
Posie,
Jerry Seinfeld does collect them. That's one of the main differences between him and the Husband.
Deb,
I think they're a bit boring, to be honest. I only showed interest when FLW's name was mentioned!
MCM,
what book did you read? I'd love to read it too ... I also read that FLW was a shameless self-promoter! Maybe that's the key, though?
Lilli,
look up Frank Lloyd Wright. Very un-Scandinavian architecture ... though he has a lot of art deco styles in his designs (esp furniture) that you may find interesting.
'Rabbiting On' means 'to waffle' ... like I'm doing now ... talking about nothing for a long time, thinking aloud and generally going off on unrelated tangents.
Wow - I never knew this. I've been to the Guggenheim and now you mention it, the same design is used in many UK multi-storey carparks to climb up or down the floors. Though that's not quite the same thing but very close apart from the art. And I've had a ride or two in a Porsche and could honestly say I'd rather be in a Jag.
ReplyDeleteLoving your new header as I am a mid-century fabric fanatic.
Men and their sports cars. That's all I can say about that! I never knew FLW designed a car showroom...I guess I'd never really thought beyond residential and iconic buildings...xx
ReplyDeleteI once (in dual income no kids days) hired a porshce for my husbands birthday. We drove around Sydney's northern beaches, stopped for lunch and had a lovely day playing 'pretend we own a porshce'. Very clever your husband!
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