We left SoCal at 6:30 AM and arrived in Scottsdale in time for an exceptional Mexican lunch at the Blue Adobe Grille followed by an unforgettable visit to Taliesin West.
I have been a groupie of Frank Lloyd Wright for many years. We've even visited the original Taliesin. It was a special treat to be able to see his beloved winter home and the bustling headquarters of the Taliesin Fellowship.
Taliesin West was established in 1937 and diligently handcrafted over many years into a utopian world unto itself. Deeply connected to the desert from which it was forged, it possesses an almost prehistoric grandeur. It was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it among the most personal of the architect’s creations.
In addition, his love of the orient was evidenced by numerous works of art in and around the home.
Wright believed this to be the perfect spot for such a building: a place of residence, a place of business and a place to learn. Wright described it like this, “Finally I learned of a site twenty-six miles from Phoenix, across the desert of the vast Paradise Valley. On up to a great mesa in the mountains. On the mesa just below McDowell Peak we stopped, turned, and looked around. The top of the world.”
I would have loved to hang out in the living room, in the furniture designed by Wright, and hear his stories. This is such a cool space.
During his lifetime, Wright continually altered and added to the complex of buildings, all of which were constructed by students and many of his most famous buildings were designed in the drafting room here, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Grady Gammage Auditorium at Arizona State University in Tempe. We could not have picked a more perfect place to explore and learn about one of my favorites. Wow!
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3 comments:
I love him too!! How cool to see such amazing work.
I like the freeway road signs. But is it legal to just pull over? Well, I guess as long as you are not in CA. Our cops take everything so seriously around here. Stupid rules.
I was just admiring a FLW copy, the Tecate train station. That sure was fun to find that treasure with you two! Although I haven't seen it in a while. The path isn't open on weekends.
Jim can confirm your story as he was driving to work up the 215 that morning he said he saw a car with a LTLVR (or similar) license plate and sunflowers on it and said it looked like you guys. I said that it had to be you. He waved.
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