Original printed plan for the Monona Terrace Community Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, 44.5 x 18, initialed and dated inside a hand-drawn red 'Taliesen' box in the lower left, "FLLW/56." The plan shows an exterior view of the proposed building, showing a low-slung facade dominated by arched windows that would have reflected the surface of Lake Monona. Rolled and in very good condition, with creasing, light staining, and old clear tape along the reverse back edge.
As a native of Madison, the Monona Terrace design was especially dear to Wright’s heart—after growing up there and attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison, he recognized the need for a cultural, governmental, and recreational center. He began planning the Monona design in 1938, and, despite administrative roadblocks, continued to modify the building’s design and seek support for the rest of his life. He signed off on the final plans—likely quite similar to those depicted in this blueprint—just seven weeks before his death in 1959. Debate about construction of the center continued for decades, until plans were finally approved in 1992. The final product used Wright’s designs for the exterior, with a redesigned interior by his apprentice and member of the Taliesin Fellowship, Tony Puttnam.
