Coonley Playhouse Window or Kindersymphony

In 1911, the architect Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned by the Avery Coonley family to design a building to be used as a kindergarten for the Coonley children. The finished structure came to be known as the “Playhouse” because it contained a stage for theatrical performances. The Avery Coonley Playhouse was part of the Coonley residence, a compound of buildings that included a main house (completed in 1909) and a coach house designed by Wright. The most remarkable feature of the Avery Coonley Playhouse was its windows, abstract compositions that were executed in a technique unlike any of Wright’s previous designs. The colored areas of the windows are composed of white glass that was flashed with a thin layer of colored glass. While the primary colors are visible from the inside, only white is visible from the outside, in keeping with the subdued color scheme of the building’s exterior. Wright once said that these windows were inspired by parades, and indeed, images of balloons, confetti, and waving flags come to mind. The windows were removed during the renovation of the Playhouse in 1967.