Scottsdale, Arizona.
This week, Ann-Christine challenges us to focus on blending in versus standing out in our environment. She includes images of animals and birds that blend in or stand out with their outer coverings. She also features an example of architecture blending in to the environment with her opening image. You can read more about her challenge here. That image got me to thinking about a visit made a couple of years ago to Scottsdale’s Taliesin West, the Architectural Institute and compound built by Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his students of architecture. In designing the compound, the architect envisioned in the late 1930s a winter home and headquarters of his school of architecture that is deeply connected with the Sonoran Desert upon which it was built.
This small gallery of images features captures from our tour of the facility that are offered daily. The visit is well worth the price of admission, especially if you are a fan of the styles of architecture developed by the world-famous architect. For more detail about the historic school and additional images, visit my previous Travel Tuesday post here. The home and headquarters certainly stands out as a prime example of Frank Lloyd Wrights’s work, but I submit these images and leave it to you, dear reader, to determine whether or not Taliesin West blends in or stands out in its environment.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
Johnbo- would love to see this in person some day – thanks for the nice pictures and I think the structures stand out …
Taliesin is an interesting place and worth the price of the tour if you happen to be in the Phoenix area. It does stand out as an oasis in the desert and an example of the architect’s style.
Thx
You write that this place is deeply connected with the Sonoran Desert – in the case of colours it must be blending in, but the impression made by the sharp angles makes it stand out. And also the rich green colour of the grass really stands out. This is a place I would have loved to see in person – architecture and the thoughts behind it is always interesting. I only knew of Fallingwater before. Thank you for an interesting entry.
In the colors and greenery, the complex does blend in, but you are correct that the angles and now giving it more thought, even the presence of so much water make it standout from the Sonoran Desert in which it is placed.
Yes, maybe the water as well is standing out – but beautifully.
He was quite the artist wasn’t he? And so unique. Great choice john
That tour was my first encounter with his background and history. It’s a great place to learn about FLW and his style of architecture.
Love to see this place someday. Beautiful photos of the architecture.
Thank you! It’s a worthy stop if you are in the Phoenix area!
Who doesn’t enjoy a trip to an FLW home? Like an oasis in the desert, there it sits. I’m a fan of how his architecture blends into the environment to some degree. It’s funny how he had an endless supply of architecture slaves, oops, I mean students. hahaha
Indeed, a ready supply of people eager to respond to his every request. >grin<