Larkin Administration Building

Completed in 1906 at 680 Seneca Street in Buffalo, the Larkin Administration Building was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first commercial design, created for the rapidly growing Larkin Soap Company. Its six-story main block, annex, and inward-looking plan responded to a factory site hemmed in by rail lines and industry. Built with dark red brick around light courts, it introduced advanced features including central air conditioning, built-in furniture, and wall-mounted toilets, while housing about 1,800 workers in administrative and mail-order operations. Despite practical flaws, it became a landmark of early modern office design before the company’s decline led to abandonment and demolition in 1950.

Buffalo, New York · United States