One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Biggest Homes Sells for $6 Million
One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s largest residential homes just sold to an undisclosed buyer for $6 million. The celebrated Tirranna House was initially listed in May 2023 for $8 million, and closed January 2 at $6 million—$2 million under the asking price. The sale cements the home’s status as one of the architect’s highest-priced properties.
The stone-clad house, located in New Canaan, Connecticut, was built in 1955 for Joyce and John Rayward, who were close friends of the architect at the time. Tirranna gets its name from the Australian Aboriginal word for “running waters,” a fitting name for the 7,000-square-foot home that is located along the Norton River, overlooking a large pond and waterfall on a lush 14-acre plot. The wooded grounds—which feature a tennis court, guest studio, swimming pool, and barn—were designed by landscape architects Frank Okamura and Charles Middeler.
Wright actually lived in the home himself, using it as an escape from New York while working on the Guggenheim Museum in the 1950s. For that reason, the residence’s greenhouse was built using the same scalloped glass he had left over from the project. It would be one of Wright’s final residential designs before his death in 1959. Ted and Veda Stanley acquired it in 1990 and sold it in 2018 for $4.8 million.
The property has Wright’s name all over it. It’s laid out in a semicircle or “solar hemicycle,” a Wright design strategy to take advantage of the sun’s various positions throughout the day. It also features concrete block walls, Philippine mahogany paneling, red concrete flooring, soaring ceilings, and a curved glass facade. There are seven bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms. Other highlights include a wine cellar that was once a former bomb shelter, a rooftop observatory with a telescope, and a large barn.
“This property stands as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s last residential masterpieces, adding an unparalleled layer of rarity to its allure,” says Chau Ngo of the Jennifer Leahy Team at Douglas Elliman, who secured the buyer in the deal. “Both the house and its surrounding land are irreplaceable, further underscoring the extraordinary nature of this real estate gem.”
You Might Also Like
