History of Unity Temple

Overview

Unity Temple is one of eight notable buildings named in 2019 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site entitled “20th Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright”. Each of the buildings, including Guggenheim and Fallingwater offer innovative solutions to needs for housing, worship or leisure. Wright’s work during period had a strong impact on the development of modern architecture in Europe.Designed for Wright’s own Unitarian Universalist congregation in 1905, Unity Temple was constructed between 1906 and 1908, and dedicated in 1909. For more than 100 years, the building has continued to be the home of the Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation. In 1970, Unity Temple Restoration Foundation was established by a dedicated group of volunteers to steward restoration and preservation of the building.

Early History

During a summer storm in 1905, lightning struck the spire of the wood frame, Gothic Revival-style Unity Church in Oak Park, and the building was destroyed by fire. In the Fall of 1905, the congregation commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright, then 38 years old and a congregation member, to design a new church. The church was Wright’s first major public building.

The construction contract called for the building to be completed by November 1906. More than two and one-half years later, after ongoing challenges of unprecedented design elements, untested construction techniques, and Wright’s practice of modifying designs during construction, Unity Temple was completed.

In September 1909, at a cost that exceeded the budget by more than 50%, Unity Temple was dedicated. It is a testament to the architect, that, despite construction delays and budget overruns, the congregation issued a resolution thanking Frank Lloyd Wright, declaring: “We believe the building will long endure as a monument to his artistic genius and that, so long as it endures, it will stand forth as a masterpiece of art and architecture.”

Wright’s bold, experimental design for Unity Temple incorporated the use of poured-in-place reinforced concrete, used primarily at that time for industrial structures. In a radical departure from traditional Western religious architecture, Wright designed the building to house two distinct spaces — Unity Temple, a four-level cubic sanctuary for worship, and Unity House, for the congregation’s social and cultural gatherings. The two spaces, connected by a single-story central entry foyer, feature monumental art glass laylights.

The building, which received international attention following the 1910 publication by Ernst Wasmuth of Unity Temple drawings in Ausgefürte Bauten und Entwürfe von Frank Lloyd Wright, was hailed as a masterpiece of modern design, and is still praised for its geometric massing, use of modern materials, and innovative configuration of space.

Recent History

Unity Temple is still home to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation for whom it was built, and will continue to serve as an inspiring house of worship. Since the 1980s, Unity Temple has had guided public tours and has served as a center for community gatherings and cultural events such as performances, lectures and workshops, meetings and conferences. Tours are conducted by the Frank Lloyd Trust. Programs will resume in 2018.

In 1970, Unity Temple was designated a National Historic Landmark. The same year, Unity Temple Restoration Foundation was established to steward necessary building repairs and restoration which were conducted in 1973-74. The innovative, experimental design elements of this modern masterpiece, including its 16 separate flat roofs, had created unforeseen structural problems. Over time, the building’s concrete structure and interior finishes suffered extensive water damage and surface cracking. Additional repairs to the building have been made in recent decades.

A comprehensive restoration master plan was developed from 2000 to 2006 to address the complete restoration of Unity Temple, including the building’s exterior and interior, decorative, and environmental components. In 2009, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed Unity Temple as one of “America’s 11 most endangered historic places,” drawing attention to the critical need to restore and preserve this architectural masterpiece. In 2013, the Alphawood Foundation announced a generous seed grant of $10 million toward a restoration of Unity Temple. Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation also made a commitment of $1.5 million to the restoration. Those two gifts launched the 2015-2017 comprehensive restoration of the iconic structure. In 2013, a team of architecture, design, and construction professionals, led by Harboe Architects, was selected. The master plan was updated in 2014 to include additional testing and reports in preparation for the restoration. The restoration began in the Spring 2015. The comprehensive Unity Temple restoration was completed in June of 2017 and has been heralded as a “Triumph.”