5/24/11 – Arcosanti , AZ

The design studio at Taliesin West

Upon reaching Phoenix the next morning, it didn’t take long to find the first of the architectural destinations. We headed directly for a place called Taliesin West, which is one of the locations of the Frank Lloyd Wright school of architecture, the other in Wisconsin. Designed by Wright himself, the complex was the place where he worked, taught and lived the last 20 years of his life. The name: Taliesin (meaning ‘shining brow’, as he believed in building on the brow of the hill, rather than on top of it,) and West referring to the location of his desert masterwork. This place was representative of an architecture that is of the land, rather than on it. Of course, it was necessary for us to visit this legendary site, but it was unfortunate that the tours and visitor center seemed solely profit based. There was more talking about the legacy of Wright and what Sam calls ‘archibabble,’ rather than allowing the architecture to speak for itself. Thankfully, the powerful forms of the buildings there spoke loudly enough that they were nearly able to drown out our babbling tour guide; a credit to him, however, had Sam and I not both studied architecture previously, he would have been a truly amazing host. The trip was definitely worth the expensive ticket, but reminded us what patience meant that we might study the building and grounds for ourselves. Not to mention that the oranges we ate from Mr. Wright’s orange grove never tasted so sweet as in that hot desert landscape.

Cast bronze bells at the Cosanti Foundation

Ceramics studio at Cosanti

After leaving Taliesin West, we headed just down the road to see another architect’s home and workshop- Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti. Soleri became known in the United States in the 60’s and 70’s for making bronze and ceramic bells, and later for his architecture. The compound is a series of organically shaped concrete structures containing ceramics studios, a foundry, drafting room, gallery, and Mr. Soleri’s residence. Compared to the strict and capitalistic Frank Lloyd Wright School, we were able to wander freely around Cosanti, were welcomed by a worker, and allowed to discover the architecture and art ourselves. The warmth and peacefulness of the complex was overwhelming, and the architecture seemed like a part of its landscape- merely a beautiful staging ground for people to work, interact, and create.

Later in the 70’s, after Cosanti was established, Paolo Soleri began translating his designs for compact-self sustaining cities into a new compound in the Arizona desert called Arcosanti, about 60 miles from his home. We had planned to spend the night at Arcosanti, but all of their accommodations were full. However, as we were leaving Cosanti, we asked the gallery cashier about accommodations again, and she said that a room called the ‘sky suite’ was open. After a few minutes of Sam begging, we decided to stay the night in what turned out to be the penthouse suite of Arcosanti, a room at the top of the complex with incredible views of the desert sunrise.

Our room in the "Sky Suite"

After leaving Cosanti, we headed straight for Arcosanti, and arrived just in time to get our key. Arcosanti had similar architecture to Cosanti, but on a much larger scale. The complex has been slowly growing towards its goal of becoming a self-sustaining, car-free city for 5000 people since the first structure was completed in the 1970’s. Funded only by the rent from guest rooms, student fees, and the sale of the artisan bells, vessels, and sculpture by Soleri, Arcosanti grows by one building at a time. Currently, they are working on additional green house structures to allow for more in-house vegetable farming. Unlike the ‘counterculture’ label that is many times given to the residents of Arcosanti, everyone we met proved the opposite. The only noticeable difference of the residents that they were more sensitive to the impact that their existence had on the earth and others. Visiting here was almost the complete opposite of the suburban sprawl of the Phoenix; the dense living spaces and the emphasis on making a vertical environment made for a richness of life and work. Staying there was an eye-opening experience- Paolo Soleri offers a viable alternative to the accepted suburban consumer lifestyle that many of us follow.

A view of Arcosanti from across the gorge

Tomorrow we head towards the Grand Canyon- or someplace in between we decide to camp for the night. Plenty of driving time to figure that one out though.