Article by Sharon Sinelli, Photos by AI Trombetta
Taliesin West is a 600 acre complex situated in the Sonoran desert in northeast Scottsdale, Arizona. Behind this desert wonder, the majestic McDowell Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to this architectural masterpiece.
Patterned after the original Taliesin located in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Taliesin West was conceived and built by Frank Lloyd Wright as concept for desert living - "a look over the rim of the world" is what he called it. Taliesin West sits on 600 acres and is considered a National Historic Landmark.
Wright and his team of apprentices began construction in 1937, utilizing indigenous materials of the desert such as sand from the washes and rocks from the desert floor. When it was completed, the complex of buildings included residential spaces, an architectural studio and drafting room, a theater and a shop. Wright continued to add buildings and make changes to the site until his death in 1959.
Today, Taliesin West houses The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, The Frank Lloyd Wright Memorial Archives and The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. The complex serves a community of architects and students, as well as many visitors who come to tour this rare flower in the desert.
I have been to Taliesin West two times now and could go back again and again. If any of you are planning a visit to the Phoenix area, this truly is a "must see"!
As in life, with something old comes something new. I want to "introduce" you to a modern masterpiece... it is a 125 foot spire. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the spire in 1957 as part of a never-built state Capitol project.
The Pederson Group, a Phoenix-based real estate company, built it. A major thank you to them! The cost to build was nearly $1,000,000. Construction began in 2003, and was completed in April of 2004. It is now a landmark signaling the gateway to north Scottsdale. The spire is blue to reflect the Arizona sky during the day and it is illuminated at night. It is located at Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.
I am lucky enough to gaze upon it just about every weekend. And I must say, I am in awe every single time! Signing off from the Valley of the Sun.
