Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Banff Pavillion in 3D
After years of lobbying, the Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Institute (FLWRI) convinced the town of Banff to allow them to rebuild this Prairie-style pavilion, a wood-and-glass recreation facility first built in 1913. Designed in collaboration with Canadian architect Francis Sullivan, who had briefly worked in Wright’s Oak Park studio, the 200-foot-long gathering place, sited in a clearing near the Bow River, helped showcase the growing popularity of the park site.
A community catch all, the space functioned as a dance hall, gathering place, and even a quartermaster’s store during WWI. Reflecting its rural setting, the rustic, board-and-batten structure featured cobblestone fireplaces, rows of stained glass in striking geometric patterns, and a set of porte-cochères at the front entry.
While the building earned mixed reviews from locals throughout its lifetime, since it wasn’t constructed for year-round recreation, it’s restoration has earned support from the community and local government. The FLWRI is currently fundraising and looking for a suitable site for a recreated pavilion within the park grounds.
