EARLY RISER

A recently restored art deco gem in Oklahoma illustrates the flamboyant genius of midcentury architect prodigy Bruce Goff

- PHOTOGRAPHY/WRITER: TAYLOR HALL O'BRIEN

A child prodigy who had his first architecture apprenticeship at the age of 12 and designed his first home by age 15, flamboyant midcentury architect Bruce Goff grabbed the attention of Frank Lloyd Wright as an adolescent. He penned a letter to the great master, who was then nearing 50, and asked if he thought it was a good idea for him to attend architecture school. In response, Wright encouraged Goff not to pursue a formal education for fear that he might 'lose Bruce Goff' in the process. Neither of them ever received a formal architecture degree.

As their relationship grew, Wright invited Goff several times to join him at Taliesin, his home, studio and school in Wisconsin, as his 'right-hand man', but Goff always declined. Architect Robert Morris recorded a series of interviews with Goff between 1979-1981, which were published after Goff's death in Cite magazine in 1983. In them, Goff recounted declining Wright's offer: 'Mr Wright, I regard you highly and know people who have worked with you [...]. You are too big a man for me to be close to, and I need to be away from you in order to keep the right perspective. I hope we can continue to be friends.' He went on to explain, 'Wright was silent for a long time, then put his arms around me and gave me a big hug and said, Bruce, I wish others knew me like you do.'

Wright was not the only creative to spot Goff's talents early. Back in the 1920s, his high school art teacher, Adah Robinson, took notice of his brilliance. Shortly after his graduation, she commissioned him (at the age of 19) to design her studio opposite Tracy Park, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with the help of another former student, architect Joseph Koberling. The three collaborated on a design that, after the addition of a kitchen, would become Robinson's primary residence. It also served as a salon for artists and intellectuals to gather, fostering a vibrant creative community that had a reach far beyond the city limits.