NEWS ARTICLE: BUFFALO NEWS (3/08) FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S DARWIN MARTIN HOUSE SOON WILL HAVE VISITORS CENTER Article at: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/292578.html Excavators scooped up frozen earth from the Darwin D. Martin House complex site Wednesday, as the highly anticipated visitors pavilion was officially launched. The sleek design by New York City architect Toshiko Mori calls for a transparent, three-sided glass structure located west of the Martin House. The pavilion, designed as a visitors center and interpretive gallery, is expected to be completed in December. “The pavilion by Toshiko Mori will be a statement to the world that Buffalo is a city that sustains great architecture,” Dan Gundersen, Empire State Development Corp.’s upstate director, told a gathering in the Martin House. Others also spoke of how the pavilion would be an exciting addition to the internationally renowned site that celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural genius. “It’s another step forward in bringing the Martin House back to full restoration,” said Richard Geiger, president of the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Center. “The visitors center will be a very important component of the entire experience.” Mark Mendell, president of Cannon Design, said in a statement that the building was a “robust, 21st-century achievement of exceptional character in its elegance, refinement, sophistication and great purity.” “Its simplicity belies the refinement of its structural design — it will, in fact, be a technical tour de force,” said Mendell, who was chairman of the committee overseeing the design of the pavilion and has guided the project from its inception. The pavilion has been praised for bringing a modern sensibility to Frank Lloyd Wright’s principle of “organic architecture.” But construction had fallen behind schedule, with original plans to open in the summer of 2006. Mori’s winning design, from a 2002 national competition, also had to be scaled back because of a shortage of funds. The reduction is in lower-level space, which will now be used only for plant operations. Previously planned public functions there, such as an orientation film, have been relocated to the street level, or elsewhere in the complex. Mori did not attend Wednesday’s ceremony, but told The Buffalo News by phone that she is confident the architectural integrity of the project has been preserved. “The way we were able to scale it back is really intelligent. From the exterior you don’t see anything, because what we eliminated [concerned] the basement. We really didn’t compromise,” Mori said. Mary Roberts, the Martin House Restoration Corp.’s executive director, said the board made adjustments to stay within budget without changing the character of the project. “The basic design of the building has not been compromised, and the board would not have supported something like that if it had been proposed. We’ve always insisted on maintaining the integrity of the original design, and that is what we are going to build,” Roberts said. The $5 million pavilion — to be known as the Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion — was made possible by a gift of $2.5 million announced in January from the East Hill Foundation to honor the couple. Buffalo-born Wilson Greatbatch, a lifelong Western New Yorker, developed the implantable, artificial cardiac pacemaker. Some 27 members of the Greatbatch family, including Wilson and Eleanor Greatbatch, were on hand for the ceremony. Other major donors to the pavilion include the John R. Oishei Foundation, Empire State Development Corp. and Erie County. The Martin House complex, designed and built from 1903 to 1905, is the site of the largest and most complete Wright reconstruction in the world. A previously demolished pergola, conservatory and carriage house were completed in October 2006. The Martin House’s exterior has been restored, and the Barton House and Gardener’s Cottage have been purchased from private ownership. Remaining work includes refurbishing the house’s interior, including updating mechanical and other systems; restoring or replicating Wright-designed furnishings and art glass; and returning the grounds to its historic landscape.