Johnson Desert Compound | Arizona Biltmore Hotel | San Marcos-in-the Desert | Ocatilla | Taliesin West TALIESIN WEST Location: Scottsdale, AZ Built: 1938 Client: Frank Lloyd Wright Type: House/Winter Headquarters Tour Information Click here to view a large plan of Taliesin West. Taliesin West showing petroglyth boulder on a pedestal above the pool. Maricopa Hill is seen right behind the building to the east. Photo taken from Levine, 288. Perhaps the most revealing of all of Wright's desert architecture was his home and studio for the later part of his life, Taliesin West. Wright had already been part of many projects in the southern Arizona area, and the idea of moving to the desert area surfaced in the winter of 1933-34 for the next year. Economic conditions in the early '30s led Wright to Arizona because Taliesin was becoming more expensive to operate in the cold winter months. Wright scoured over the Arizona desert for a site suitable for his winter camp for almost three years. It was evident that Wright was looking for the perfect site for his camp, and he would finally find it 26 miles north of Phoenix in the area of Paradise Valley. The site was located on a mesa below McDowell Peak on what Wright described as "The top of the world!"(Levine, p. 259). Wright was thrilled with the view from the site, appreciating nature from every angle. He also found many ancient remains from Indians that once inhabited the area, including petroglyphs which would ultimately be part of his new place of work.   In this arial view of Taliesin and surrounding area one can get a feel for the terrain and climate that Wright chose to build Taliesin West. The flat, sparsely vegetated terrain was much different than what Wright was used to in Wisconsin. Photo taken from Levine, p. 261.   In this c.1946 interior view of the Garden Room one gets a sense of the triangularity Wright uses in the interior. This picture also shows the stretched canvas roof and how it acted to diffuse the natural desert sunlight. Photo taken from Smith, p. 101. Designs were begun for Taliesin West in January-February of 1938. Temporary shelters were built near the site to allow a safe place for drafting. Wright grappled with many issues regarding the design of Taliesin, and this is evident in the fact that he drew several elevations that never even used. Wright was known in the past have conceived of his designs well in advance, then drawn exactly what he thought for the final design (Levine, pp. 263-4). The final plan was similar to a pinwheel with various 45 and 90 degree corners that very much accentuated the sharp, stiff angles of the surrounding natural architecture. Rebounding from these angles are varies triangular shapes, especially the pool Wright created on the west side of the house. Despite the peculiar angles of the house, Wright still manages to make the interior spaces square and rectangular by filing the awkward spaces with gardens and the pool. This photo shows how Taliesin West barely rises above the desert floor, affording a feeling that the building belongs in the desert. Photo taken from Smith, p. 86.   1940 photo showing the interior of the drafting room at Taliesin West. The sides are open allowing natural light to flood the workspace as well as the warm desert breeze. Photo taken from Smith, p. 96. Despite the fact that the interior spaces seem rectangular on the inside, one immediately notices upon entering the interior space that the feeling of rectiliniarity is immediately exhausted by the angled roofs that mimic not only the surrounding terrain but also the overall angular floor plan of the building. Wright placed his office relatively close to the work room, presumably so that he could be reached easily be his apprentices. The diagonality of Taliesin West was done for a particular reason by Wright. As usual it did have to do with the surrounding terrain, but not just to make the building be one with its surroundings, but also to offer the one a wide variety of views from many seemingly random locations. As one walks through Taliesin West, beautiful views arise surprisingly at times from underneath roofs or from the end of a hallway. The buildings seems extremely permeable in this sense and also because many areas are without solid walls, for example the workroom which is open on its sides, allowing the desert breeze to penetrate in, and one's imagination to be sparked from the surrounding desert landscape.   One of the many petroglyth boulders that are native to the desert area of Taliesin West. Also in the background are two Saguaro cacti, left in place by Wright as the complex was built around them. Photo taken from Levine, p. 279. Wright included much of the desert's natural occurring elements in the final design of Taliesin West. He employed a new method known as "desert masonry" in which desert rocks were piled into wooden frames and filed with concrete. The frames were then removed when the concrete dried, holding the rocks in place and giving a very distinct look to the building's walls. The wall though seemingly sloppy, reflected the texture and material of the desert floor surrounding Taliesin West. Also included in his designs were many desert plants which grew in various gardens. Saguaro and Prickly Pear cactus was abundant throughout the yard, as were other trees and firs. There were also many petroglyth which Wright chose to keep in gardens in plain view of the many walkways. These inclusions and the relatively low structure of the buildings all helped it to remain inconspicuous in the desert, almost invisible to the desert landscape.
site created 4/15/98 by W. Derek Weems wdwee@yahoo.com Last Updated on August 22, 2004 01:25:14 PM