The Inspiration Behind Howard Roark

Roark's Stoddard Temple is likely based
on the Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois,

http://reasonandlibertycentral.blogspot.com/2010/02/ayn-rand-code.html

I found a great little blog post today that talks about the potential sources of inspiration behind Howard Roark's architectural masterpieces as described in Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. I had heard before that Roark was based loosely on Frank Lloyd Wright, the great American architect and thinker, but I had never really before considered the buildings themselves, so this was something kind of new for me.

240 Central Park South, one of a few potential
inspirations for Roark's Aquitania Hotel

Presumed to be the model for
Howard Roark's Wynand Building.

I decided it might be fun to see some of the different buildings from The Fountainhead rather than just hearing about them; when I was about 15, I wanted to be an architect, so I enjoy just getting to look at different buildings, especially ones that for their time were thought to be very radical and outlandish. Seeing Roark's works in  physical representation really does seem to kind of brings the book to life, giving Roark real substance and personality, but on the other hand, the ideals promoted by Roark (and his character in general) are intentionally unrealistic and impossible to captured on a page; they challenge us to escape the clutches of conformity and rise to the greatness that is inherent in every man and woman. I at first thought it odd that I couldn't find much art for book, but I am understanding more and more, at least for this story, that the visual is not so much that which matters; that which matters is the idea and feelings that the book instills in the reader. It is about the power of one, the power of the me and of the you, as individuals, to enact positive change, at whatever necessary costs. A lot of people spout that Objectivism is such a selfish, godless idea, and maybe that's true for it as a whole, but I take what good I can find in any source, and for me at least, that good is the courage and power to enact change, the integrity to pursue one's dreams, and the confidence to do it all when everyone else tells you that you can't.