Wright was 38 years old when he received the Unity Temple commission. It was his first major public building and one of the most significant projects of his lengthy career. Near the end of his life, after having completed more than 1,100 designs and 532 built projects, Wright said of Unity Temple, "That was my first expression of this eternal idea which is at the center and core of all true modern architecture. A sense of space, a new sense of space."

The American Institute of Architects named Unity Temple one of Wright’s most influential buildings. In 1971, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated Unity Temple a National Historic Landmark. It remains one of the most exciting and influential buildings in 20th century architecture.