An architectural original
Pasadena, California
La Miniatura.
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT · 1923
Frank Lloyd Wright’s first textile block house. An experiment in concrete, light, and landscape.
A house woven into its landscape.
Explore the houseThe story
A small house.
A radical idea.
In 1923, Alice Millard asked Frank Lloyd Wright to create a home for her life and collection. In a wooded Pasadena ravine, he made architecture from the earth itself: patterned concrete blocks, warm interiors, and a garden that becomes part of every room.
Explore the houseExplore in three dimensions
A different point of view.
Turn the house, open the roofs, and look inside. Explore the main house, studio, and arrival wing in an interpretive model.
Explore the model
A photographic portrait
Concrete. Light. Life.
A STUDY IN TEXTILE BLOCK
Continue past the studyThe smallest idea.
Plain and patterned blocks were cast on site. The square module carries both the masonry rhythm and the ornament; the detail repeats across the wall.
Glass-filled apertures admit small points of daylight. Move the light to study the pattern.A solid face catches the light. Move the sun to reveal the raised pattern.
SCHEMATIC PATTERN STUDY · NOT TO SCALE
AN ONGOING COMMITMENT
A living house.
A lasting responsibility.
Preserving La Miniatura means caring for its original materials, its spaces and the landscape around it. It is patient, continuing work, supported by people who value the house.
Help preserve La Miniatura
BY ARRANGEMENT
Come closer.
La Miniatura is a private home, shared occasionally with small groups by arrangement. Write to us about your interest and when you hope to visit.
Arrange a visit