Our tour at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home in Scottsdale, AZ began in the early morning. It was a not a traditional hike, as we stood and walked throughout his home site marveling at the architectural designs.
Wright purchased the land in the 1930s. Can you imagine Phoenix 90 years ago? It is a self-sustaining ranch and retreat today surrounded by urbanized Phoenix. Such a surprising oasis of beauty in this desert is Taliesin West. The self-guided tour is well worth your time.
Desert animals will move into the ruined city, and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures. Owls will live among the ruins, and wild goats will go there to dance. Isaiah 13:21 NLT
Frank Lloyd Wright uses red as his favorite decorative color with orange for his furniture design. Even the gutters and roofline created interesting shadows on the walkways.
He used interesting transitions from a small entrance space to an expansive space. Your body felt the changes in every doorway.
Wright’s overall style is called “Organic Architecture” which allows the person to seamlessly transition between outside and inside living.
The fireplaces in every room were obscurely hidden. It became an interesting game to see how fast you could find the hidden fireplaces.
The Theater was shaped like a megaphone to enhance sound transfer and every surface was red. The Cabaret area was a place to have dinner and drinks.
The drafting area for his students included low tables and an ability to design from natural light flowing into the room throughout the day.
How do you experience the past in your travels and hikes? Do you like to explore architectural beauty? Abandoned miner’s cabins?
I left peaceful and filled with beauty and design ideas. There were sculptures throughout the garden area. Wright’s genius was evident even in the gift shop where they had taken his designs from other locations and created trinkets to take home with you ranging from designed blankets to inlaid clocks.
