Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower
About this property
The Johnson Wax Headquarters is the corporate headquarters of the household goods company S. C. Johnson & Son in Racine, Wisconsin, United States. The original headquarters includes two buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright: the Administration Building, completed in April 1939, and the Research Tower, completed in November 1950. The headquarters also includes the Golden Rondelle Theater, relocated from the 1964 New York World's Fair, in addition to Fortaleza Hall and the Commons, a memorial to Samuel Curtis Johnson Jr. Both of the original buildings were widely discussed on their completion, and they have been depicted in several exhibits and media works. In addition, the original headquarters received the American Institute of Architects' Twenty-five Year Award and has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. S. C. Johnson's chief executive, Herbert Fisk "Hibbert" Johnson Jr., hired Wright to design the Administration Building in 1936 after rejecting an earlier plan by J. Mandor Matson. Construction began that September, though work progressed slowly due to Wright's attention to detail and use of novel construction methods. The Administration Building was well-received upon its opening, undergoing minor modifications over the years. S. C. Johnson rehired Wright in 1945 to design the Research Tower, construction of which began in late 1947. After the Research Tower opened, S. C. Johnson used the structure for research and development (R&D). The Golden Rondelle Theater opened in 1967 as a visitor center for the headquarters. The Research Tower was closed in 1982 due to safety concerns. The Fortaleza Hall was finished in 2010, and the Research Tower partially opened for tours in 2014. The Johnson Administration Building is designed in a variation of the streamlined Art Moderne style, with a curved brick facade and Pyrex glass-tube windows. The Administration Building's primary interior space is a great workroom with concrete shell columns topped by large "calyxes". The Administration Building also includes offices on a mezzanine and penthouse, in addition to an overpass connecting with a carport; these spaces contain furniture designed by Wright. The Research Tower, a 15-story structure with a brick facade and Pyrex-tube windows, is next to the Administration Building and is surrounded by a courtyard. The tower has alternating square floors and circular mezzanines, cantilevered outward from the structural core.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower listed on the National Register?
Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1974.
What type of historic resource is Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower?
Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower?
The period of significance for Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Johnson, S.C., and Son Administration Building and Research Tower will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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