In 2010, Fitzsimmons Architects took on the renovation of the home of Wayne Coyne, lead singer of the band Flaming Lips. The project, prompted by Wayne‘s wish to stay in the isolated neighborhood where he grew up, is part of a wider plan to redevelop six houses in a run-down area of Oklahoma City in the USA.
For the frontman of a band that has always amazed its audience with its creativity, imagination and artistic evolution, it is undoubtedly essential that the space he lives in inspires him and gives him an extra artistic push. As he puts it, he likes to step out of his distinctive, artistic bedroom in the morning and walk into his strange, futuristic bathroom. “I want my dream not to stop when I wake up…”
Anyone who has followed the band’s career knows how much importance Wayne gives to the stage sets of their concerts and the cinematography of their music videos. So we could hardly expect anything other than a magical vision for the space he experiences in his everyday life.
The choice of Fitzsimmons Architects was no accident. The practice approaches architecture as a form of art, creating forms and spaces that serve specific purposes and aim to inspire the people who use them. By their own account, the expression of emotion is a hallmark of every project they undertake. Besides architects, their team includes artists, furniture designers and craftsmen. The different backgrounds of its members are naturally reflected in the practice’s design approaches.
It could hardly be otherwise: a spirit like Wayne‘s, combined with an equally artistic architectural team, was bound to result in a house that is a unique work of art. It is worth mentioning that a significant role in this idiosyncratic home-studio was played by Wayne‘s wife, the talented artist and photographer Michelle Martin-Coyne, who added her own touch to the final result.
Architects: Fitzsimmons Architects, (info@fitzsimmons-arch.com)
Photographs: Joseph Mills, (studio@josephmills.com)
