Frank Lloyd Wright
and Monona Terrace

Much more than a venue

The Journey to Monona Terrace

Frank Lloyd Wright originally proposed a design for a “dream civic center” in 1938. His architectural vision for the City of Madison — a curvilinear gathering place that would link the shore of Lake Monona to the State Capitol — has now been realized. With interiors redesigned by Taliesin architect Tony Puttnam, Monona Terrace spans ninety feet out over shimmering waters, incorporating thoroughly modern technology and amenities with the architect´s signature organic design.

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Frank Lloyd Wright's skecth

The Journey to Monona Terrace

1867
1867
1867

June 8

 

Frank Lloyd Wright is born on June 8 in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

1878
1878
1878

Wright moves to Madison and spends his summers working on his uncle’s farm near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Later, he takes engineering courses at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

1889
1889
1889

Wright marries Catherine Tobin. They settle in Oak Park, Illinois, where Wright builds his Home (1889) and Studio (1898).

1909
1909
1909

Noted urban planner John Nolen prepares Madison’s first master plan, calling for a series of government buildings connecting the Wisconsin State Capitol with Lake Monona and a lakeside Park. Nolen’s design featured a grand set of terraces stepping down to the lakeshore.

1911
1911
1911

Amid personal and professional scandals, Wright leaves Oak Park and builds Taliesin near Spring Green, Wisconsin. It would serve as his home, studio, architectural school and refuge for the remainder of his life.

1937
1937
1937

The effects of his personal scandals and the financial crisis of the Depression devastate Wright’s practice. He responds with an altered architectural style he calls Usonian, with the goal to design affordable housing and communal housing communities. Wright effectively pioneers the concept of the ranch-style home with Madison’s Jacob’s I, the 1st of 140 Usonian houses built.

1938
1938
1938
1938

Wright’s reputation soars with the success and positive publicity of several landmark projects, including Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the S.C. Johnson Wax Administrative Building in Racine, Wisconsin. Time Magazine calls him “the greatest architect of the twentieth century.”

1938
1938-2

Wright generates his first proposal for Monona Terrace, to be built on the site of the current Monona Terrace. The plan included an auditorium, rail depot, marina, courthouse and city hall. Local newspapers refer to the project as the “Dream Civic Center” linking Wisconsin’s State Capitol with Lake Monona. Wright presents his plan to the County Board, who defeat it by a single vote.

1941
1941
1941

Madison voters approve funding for a municipal auditorium, and Wright introduces his Monona Terrace plan with some modifications. Wright was gathering support for the project when World War II intervened.

1954
1954
1954

In the post-war economic boom, Madison voters approved a $4 million bond referendum for an auditorium and civic center. Wright is narrowly approved as the architect, and the current site of Monona Terrace is selected. Wright said that being elected project architect for the Monona Terrace by the people of Madison meant more to him than any other award.

1957
1957
1957

The Monona Terrace project is effectively destroyed in 1957 by a passage of a bill reducing the height of a lakefront building on the site to 20 feet. The law is repealed two years later, and Wright completes his last rendering.

1959
1959
1959

Wright dies on April 9 in Arizona at age 91.

1959
1959-2
1959-2

The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Wright’s last commission, opens in October. Its fluid, curvilinear form is strikingly similar to his design for Monona Terrace.

1990
1990
1990

Monona Terrace is revived as Madison’s Mayor urges civic leaders to transform Wright’s 1959 civic center into a convention facility. Voters narrowly approve the project in 1992.

1992
1992
1992

Funding is secured through the City of Madison hotel room tax and bonds, direct support from the State of Wisconsin and Dane County, and over $8 million in private sector contributions. The facility costs $67.1 million.

1994
1994
1994
1994

Construction begins on the $67.1 million project, funded by City of Madison hotel room tax and bonds, direct support from the State of Wisconsin, Dane County and private sector contributions.

1997
1997
1997
1997

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center opens in July, 59 years after the inception of the project.

2022
2022
Now
Now

Today, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center stands as a tribute to America’s greatest architect and the most iconic feature of Madison’s downtown skyline. It is regarded as one of the nation’s preeminent public destinations and a must-see for anyone traveling to Madison.

Interested in seeing a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Madison, WI? Start with the Eugene A. Gilmore “Airplane House” after your visit to Monona Terrace!