Taliesin West

a quick stop here even though we were running short of time.
Next trip to Scottsdale will include time for the tour!
The power lines that are located so close to Taliesan are a blight to an other wise serene zen-like location.

because I was the high bid in a silent auction for tickets to Taliesin and a 2 night stay at the Arizona Biltmore (also designed by Wright) and then I lost out!! Oh well – back to the drawing board…must go when it is cold here and not so cold there!

I’ve traveled to many of the FLW buildings and I have to say that I loved Taliesin West the best so far… he was at such an interesting point in his career during this time and was groundbreaking in some of his ideas as well as the students and their learning. Not to be a wuss or anything but I cried while I was there because of the beauty.

The Wisconsin site is the better of the two. Wright’s thoughts on the organic nature of architechture are more evident there. The main building seems to grow out of the Wisconsin hills themselves. The narrow red barn is gorgeous. It creates its own ridge line across the landscape, just above a field of corn (alfalfa? memory alert!)

The tower behind the trees is also beautiful. Spend a full day walking the grounds. I understand the big tree at the entrance to the residence and school fell on the building a couple of years ago. I hope it has been repaired.

The Arizona site is also lovely. But the suburban sprawl around it destroys whatever desert specialness Wright envisioned. My small children and I arrived in the evening after closing time, so we missed the interior. But they loved the surroundings. And they can identify the place to this day.

I have been lucky to explore lots of Wright sites (Usonia/Pleasantville in NY, Auldbrass Plantation in SC, Oak Park, IL and other Chicago sites, the Pope-Leighey in VA, Fallingwater & Kentuck Knob in PA, the Guggenheim & almost all the NE houses) and I give tours of a local usonian designed by FLLW, but have never been to either Taliesin – time to make some plans