Page 87 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Southwest USA & National Parks

PHOENIX  85

strikingly original houses
designed in elegant, open-plan
style. Although noted for his
use of local materials such as
desert rocks and earth, he also
pioneered the use of pre-
cast concrete (see p27).
Today, Taliesin West is home
to the Frank Lloyd Wright
School of Architecture, where
students live and work. There
are a variety of tours that range
from one to three hours. Ninety-
minute tours begin every hour
Innovative design of the Cosanti Foundation gift shop from 9am to 4pm.
Taleisin West is approached
E The Cosanti Foundation (100 km) north of Phoenix on along a winding desert road.
6433 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd., Paradise Interstate Highway 17. Arcosanti The muted tones of the low-
Valley. Tel (480) 948-6145. Open is an educational housing project lying buildings reflect Wright’s
9am– 5pm Mon–Sat, 11am–5pm Sun. that began in 1970 to test the enthusiasm for the desert
Closed public hols. & donation “arcology concept” as a way to setting. He was careful to
requested. 7 ∑ arcosanti.org reduce human impact on the enhance, rather than dominate,
In 1947, Italian architect Paolo environment while improving the landscape.
Soleri (1919–2013) came to quality of life. Residents live
study at Taliesin West. Nine and work in structures that E Pueblo Grande Museum
years later, he set up the Cosanti combine work and leisure and Archaeological Park
Foundation in Scottsdale to space. Workshops, tours, and 4619 E. Washington St. Tel (602) 495-
further his investigations into accommodations are available. 0900. Open 9am–4:45pm Tue–Sat.
what he termed “arcology”: a Closed Sun, public hols. & 7
combination of architecture E Taliesin West ∑ pueblogrande.com
and ecology to create new Cactus Rd. at Frank Lloyd Located 5 miles (8 km) east
urban habitats (see p27). Wright Blvd., Scottsdale. Tel (480) of Downtown Phoenix, this
Today, the Cosanti site 627-5340. Open 9am–4pm daily. museum displays an ancient
consists of simple, low Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Dec 25. Hohokam ruin, as well as many
structures housing studios, a & 7 8 ∑ franklloydwright.org artifacts, including cooking
gallery, and workshops. This is Generally regarded as the utensils and pottery. Many
where the workers make and greatest American architect pieces come from the adjacent
sell their trademark windbells. of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright Archaeological Park, the site of
Self-guided walking tours are (1867–1959) established the a Hohokam settlement from the
available, but guided tours are 600-acre (240-ha) Taliesin West 8th to the 14th centuries. The
by reservation only. complex as a winter school for site, originally excavated in 1887,
Visitors can also tour Soleri’s his students in 1937. Wright has a path through the ruins and
main project, which lies 60 miles came to prominence in Chicago signs indicating the many
during the 1890s with a series of irrigation canals once used by
the Hohokam to water crops.

Taliesin West façade, designed to blend with the desert landscape
For hotels and restaurants see pp237–8 and pp249–51

084-085_EW_SW_USA.indd 85 28/11/17 1:00 PM