The relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and H. F. Johnson, Jr. helped define Wright’s career as much as it helped to define the Johnson buildings in Racine. The first building Wright designed for the Johnson company was the Administration building in 1936, followed by the Research Tower in 1944.

Known for being an architect ahead of his time and extremely modern, Wright described the Administration building as “simply and sincerely an interpretation of modern business conditions designed to be as inspiring to live in and work in as any cathedral ever was to worship in.”*

More than 4,500 Wright enthusiasts and admirers visit the Administration building and the SC Johnson campus each year to marvel at the still-modern architecture. From the miles of Pyrex glass tubing to the dendriform columns, the Administration building is truly a unique work of art that reflects the innovation, creation and adventure that is still the spirit of SC Johnson today.

Key Architectural Dates

Frank Lloyd Wright Building Facts

Administration Building

• The Administration building is the worldwide headquarters of SC Johnson. 
• The construction of this building started in late 1936.  
• It opened in April of 1939. 
• The Administration Building is celebrated as one of the top 25 buildings of the 20th century.  
• H.F. Johnson, Jr. commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Administration building and Research Tower.  

The Great Workroom

• The Great Workroom, which is located within the Administration Building, is renowned for its beauty and has been dubbed the "center of creativity."
• The Great Workroom has more than one-half acre of workspace. 
• Two circular elevators run from the basement to the Penthouse level of the Administrative Building. 
• The elevators have an open design, allowing a panoramic view of the building and are nicknamed “bird cages” for their unusual appearance.  

The Great Workroom’s Dendriform Columns

• Among the outstanding features in the Great Workroom and perhaps, the focal point of this building, are the dendriform columns. 
• Wright called the columns “dendriform,” meaning tree-shaped. Because of their unique design, they are also called mushrooms, golf tees, or lily pads.
• These columns were revolutionary in design because the base has a diameter of only nine inches and the top has a diameter of eighteen and a half feet.
• Wright designed each column to support a weight of 12 tons.   

The Research Tower 

• The Research Tower is one of the tallest structures ever built on the cantilever principle. 
• It stands 153 feet tall, and the central core, which is thirteen feet in diameter, extends 54 feet deep into the ground. 
• Inside the core are the restrooms, elevator, and stairway. 
• All 14 floors of the Research Tower are supported by the core; much like a tree supports its branches.
• The Research Tower opened in 1950 and is no longer used today.  

Golden Rondelle Theater

• Originally built as the SC Johnson Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair in 1964-65. After the fair closed, the Golden Rondelle was dismantled and its steel framework was shipped back to Racine, where it was re-designed by Taliesin Associated Architects. 
• Taliesin is Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture.   

Miscellaneous Facts about the Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings

• Wright used glass tubes to defract light and cut glare. 
• If laid end to end, the original Pyrex tubes would have extended over 43 miles. 
• Wright designed more than 40 different pieces of furniture for the Administration building. 
• Each piece reflects aspects of the building’s overall design.
• The color used throughout the building is an earthy maroon-orange tint, which Mr. Wright called “Cherokee red.”
• The Administration Building was one of the first in the US to be completely air-conditioned.   

*As quoted in the Racine Journal Times, December 31, 1939