Arizona Desert

Phoenix - Passing time 2 Taliesin West

September 23, 2008
by CyclChef

Jamie finished up early today so we have decided to go out to Scottsdale to Taliesin West, the winter home of Frank Lloyd Wright's school of architecture.  I being somewhat of a Frank Lloyd Wright buff had forgotten about this being here.  After finding it online in local attractions for Phoenix I decided yesterday this was something we have to see.  It took about an hour to drive up here from downtown Phoenix.  The Sagauro cactus are really big out here, it is my understanding that this is the only place in the world they grow, they are truly magnificent.  This place is truly amazing,  back in the day they had to live here with no modern coveiniences, which we take for granted today, running water, electricity, toilets, heat - yes the desert does get cold at night during the winter, I'm having a hard time imagining that today.  The place is hard to see when you drive up the side of the mountain following the principal of Wright's architecture, the buildings fit the terrain around them.  Our tour guide is excellent, he has definintely done this a time or two.  There are 7 other people in our tour, I prefer the small group.  We convene in a office with a large table which was actually Wright's office, our tour guide explains what we'll see, and the pace at which we'll move, what we can and can't take photos of, then gives us the background of the office.  The pace is very fast, because there is a lot to see in an hour and a half, actually we are the last tour of the day.   We start up the hill to begin the tour.  The view back down to Scottsdale and greater Phoenix is breathtaking.  I can only imagine the trip to town to get supplies back in the 30's roads were propably non existent to this area.  The living quarters are the next thing on the route.  The living room is huge, the entryway has a very low ceiling then the space opens up.  Seating was built in around the walls,  all the furniture in the room was designed by Wright, the only thing that wasn't was a Steinway piano.  The sleeping quarters are very modest, and originally bathrooms were non existent, the bathroom was added later lour tour guide explains.  Jamie would not have lasted here very long.  Everything was built, doors, hinges, hardware, very few manufactured products were used to construct Taliesin West. As we move along we go by the classrooms / design studio the tour guide reminds us not to take photos.  They are having a private party here later this evening, the staff is setting up for quite and event from the looks of the tables, there is a large flat area where fairly large banquets can be hosted.  We make our way into the larger theatre which seated well over a hundred people, I didn't expect to see this here,  the tour guide explained Frank Lloyd Wright's love of music especially the piano,  Wright was an accomplished pianist, but never had any formal training.  Ballets, plays and variety shows were all put on by students and outsiders from time to time.  The other theatre was set up to be a dinner theatre and had near perfect acoustics,  the building is a hexagon tube essentially, I find the cave for the grand piano the coolest thing.  Our tour has lasted nearly 2 hours.  I would suggest going on the last one.  The gift shop is filled with almost every book ever written about of by Wright, as well as recreations of sculpture and art by Wright and associates.  I will always remember this day, this is one place I have always wanted to see, Falling Water is next.

Tags: Sight Seeing