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Airstream Just Unveiled a Frank Lloyd Wright Trailer That is So ICONIC
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Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy is hitting the road—literally. Today, Airstream and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation launched the Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer, a collection of 200, limited-edition Airstreams designed to pay homage to the legendary architect.
At first thought, Airstream and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation might seem like an unlikely duo: The former company is on always on the move, while the latter's portfolio is firmly planted on the ground (and inspired by the surrounding nature). But for Bob Wheeler, Airstream's president and CEO, this collaboration was decades in the making.
'I've been dropping this idea of a Frank Lloyd Wright trailer into the thought mill for about 20 years,' Wheeler explained during a press conference at Wright landmark Taliesin West in May. 'I was lucky enough to live in a prairie-style house by an architect who was an acolyte and devotee of Wright. That really set the hook for me to be able to live in a space that was so intentional, so well thought out in every detail.'
Wheeler says that Wright and Airstream founder Wallace 'Wally' Byam were contemporaries—they both grew up in a time that favored streamlined design—making this collaboration a natural partnership. Henry Hendrix, vice president and chief marketing officer of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, agrees and makes one thing very clear: This limited-edition release 'isn't a logo slap on the side of the trailer.'
Hendrix says the Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer highlights two teams coming together and intentionally meshing their distinct design ethos together—and it shows.'Wright's legacy is the idea that architecture [and] intentional design can really lead to improved lives,' he explains. 'That is what we need to deliver on, and Airstream has been so open to that approach.'
Wright's legacy is felt the moment you open the trailer, thanks to the famous Gordon Leaf displayed on the door frame. Wright commissioned artist and designer Eugene Masselink to make the Gordon Leaf mural pattern for former House Beautiful editor Elizabeth Gordon in 1956, and its use throughout the trailer pays homage to their bond. The foundation credits Gordon for encouraging Wright to license his distinct style for products and collaborations just like this trailer—creating a beautiful full-circle moment.
'She really understood his desire to get in the home of the average American, not just the wealthy, rich, and famous,' Hendrix tells House Beautiful. 'All of those iconic furniture pieces from that time are in people's homes because she knew that it would be well received. She understood his need to spread the word about good design.'
Wheeler says Wright fans will 'immediately recognize' the architect's influence once they cross the threshold. Form and function come together in perfect harmony in the front of the trailer, which acts as a space-efficient kitchen and great room. While the cherry plywood details bring some warmth to the trailer's cool-toned, nature-inspired palette, a collapsible dining room table, chairs, and desk help make the most of a limited footprint.
Speaking of the layout? The trailer embraces Wright's penchant for compression and expansion with a narrow hallway—which has a door to the bathroom and ample discreet storage—that leads to the bedroom. For sweet (and versatile) dreams, the bedroom has two twin mattresses that can come together to form a king bed with the push of a button. In fact, the labels for each of the trailer's many buttons are in the same font as the foundation's logo.
The Airstream's interiors might speak to the architect's legacy, but true to Wright's aesthetic, there's also an emphasis on the trailer's surroundings. Ample windows draw the great outdoors inside, while a clever use of strategically placed lighting and slatted details play up the trailer's shadows—a technique which is a key pillar of Wright's design DNA.
If you ask Wheeler, a Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer is more than a well-appointed way to get around: It's a dream come true. A marriage between two iconic American brands that celebrates the intersection of the great outdoors and indoors.
'Collaborations like this bring new ideas to the table and push our design and engineering teams beyond their comfort zone,' he says. 'The result distills the essence of these two iconoclasts into a travel trailer that is both beautiful and functional.' The Airstream Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian Limited Edition Travel Trailer will be available for purchase at Airstream dealers nationwide, and prices start at $184,900.
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