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| - Taliesin West emerges naturally from the desert floor -you can't see it on approach because it's built with a low profile and designed to blend in with its desert surroundings. The complex just outside Scottsdale, AZ., was architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home, workplace, and school in the desert from 1937 until his death in 1959 at the age of 91.
Drawing its name from Frank Lloyd Wright's summer home (Taliesin, in Spring Green, WI), it's the main campus of the School of Architecture and houses the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Many of Wright's most famous buildings were designed in the drafting room here (including the Guggenheim Museum in NYC). Open to the public for tours, Taliesin West is located on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale, Arizona (a suburb of Metropolitan Phoenix).
The place is amazing, with stunning desert views of Scottsdale and Phoenix beyond (though marred by the power lines FLW wrote President Truman about, demanding they be removed and rerouted because they detracted from his view of the desert) and amazing configurations --a must see for any FLW fan!
The tour would be interesting for anyone who appreciates home design --Wright used sweeping horizontal lines in residential structures while other architects were still creating tall houses with lots of "gingerbread" as decoration. There is a very nice gift shop on the site near the entrance with an abundance of books, ties, mugs, T-shirts --and all things FLW.
We came out for the signature "Behind the Scenes" (3 hour) Tour and were not disappointed -it was amazing! We had the chance to tour Wright's office, his living room and spaces, the design studio, movie theater, and even the cabaret. It is fascinating to see how Wright designed every aspect of the complex, down to the furniture, windows (or not as he opposed using glass and preferred open space leading to the outdoors), artwork and floor coverings.
Every part of Taliesin West bears Frank Lloyd Wright's personal touch -the grounds are serene and supremely modern. Upon every return after a summer in Wisconsin, Wright would grab a hammer and immediately make his way through the complex, walking through each room making changes or shouting orders to apprentices closely following with wheelbarrows and tools -constantly changing and improving upon his design.
Throughout the years he added an additions to the dining room, music pavilion and on numerous other rooms throughout the compound. All of the furniture and decorations (now reproductions) were designed by Wright and the majority were built by his apprentices.
A brilliant aspect of Wright's design is the cabaret theatre. Built with six sides, out of the standard rock-concrete mixture, in an irregularly hexagonal shape (out of the standard rock-concrete mixture) the theatre provides its occupants with what has been called "95% acoustic perfection". Someone sitting in the back row can hear the lightest whisper from a speaker on stage.
A fascinating insight --FLW's investment of over $10,000 was needed, to dig a well deep enough (500 ft.) to provide sufficient water for the campus -in fact, it's an underground river running from the White Mountains near the eastern Arizona border with New Mexico.
When Wright and his family arrived in 1937 they found Native American petroglyphs among the rocks. One, the Whirling Arrow (seen today at the beginning of the guided tour), shows what Wright interpreted as two hands clasped in a gesture of friendship. a reflection of his creative vision and philosophical belief of "stay(ing) close to nature, it will never fail you." Wright stylized the figures into interconnected lines, which became the symbol of Taliesin West.
During his lifetime, Wright continually altered and added to the complex of buildings, all of which were constructed by students. Many of Wright's most famous buildings were designed in the drafting room at Taliesin West (including the Guggenheim Museum in NYC). The School of Architecture at Taliesin West offers an accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree focused on Wright's principals.
Taliesin West continues as the headquarters of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and as the winter home for the School of Architecture offering an accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree focused on Wright's principles (as in Wright's day, students and faculty spend the summers in Spring Green, Wisconsin). You can sense the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Wright (as the apprentices called them) as you take the tour. of the property. It's amazing! You're allowed to take pictures everywhere (except the drafting studio --due to the possibility of intellectual property being exposure). We actually ran into a couple of students who offered their greetings and quick asides about their experiences of living there.
The three-hour Behind the Scenes Tour was well worth the extra time and money ($75). Tours sell out fast so pre-purchasing tickets is strongly advised.
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