Certainly I knew about Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect. And have, all my life, admired some of the homes he designed. There’s one in Pasadena, I believe, but it’s privately owned. Most of his early life he lived near Oak Park, Illinois. And several homes there were designed by him.
But it wasn’t until I read the book, Loving Frank: A Novel
Suffering from lung issues, he was advised to move to warmer climates, so he began looking, and settled on a large piece of property outside Phoenix, east of Scottsdale. It was several hundred acres, far from civilization at the time (this was the late 1930’s), without power and water as well.
Taliesin (pronounced tal-ee-ess-in, from a Welsh word – Wright was half Welsh) West started out (and still is) an architectural school where Wright convinced promising young students to help him build a magnificent home. He utilized many ideas that were ones he’d mulled in his mind for most of his life. With his apprentices working by day – remember, no electricity – the home was visualized and constructed over the course of many years. It was mostly open to the air, year ‘round (since his death in 1959 air conditioning was installed). He utilized a kind of white canvas as a roof, which provided diffused light and cover. The main living room has the canvas covers (but has some kind of clear roofing over it) which did provide a warm, soft light.
The house had spacious living areas, all utilizing quartzite stone and cement, redwood (which all had to be replaced eventually since redwood does not survive in dry climates). The bedrooms were quite small. There were two theaters, and a huge workroom that is still used for the current architecture students (we saw most of them working when we visited). Wright’s old Steinway piano still sits in the living room (and one of the people on our tour actually sat down and played it, which was very special). The home is very much lived-in. The architecture students have their own little cabin type rooms that dot the landscape – all of these small utilitarian structures were designed and built by students, over the years. Each one is unique. There is a communal dining room (large) and kitchen (where cooking duties are shared by the students on a rotating basis). Wright’s office, a separate structure, was the first room we visited and the guide gave us a good overview of Wright’s life and the kind of work he did there. Almost all of Taliesin West is built on a triangular design – with roof lines that matched the nearby mountain peaks. Everything about Wright’s designs there incorporate nature, the soil, the rocks, with particular attention paid to enhancing the views (which are magnificent from the home).
Photos, clockwise from top left: the main view of Taliesin from one end of the long building (notice the unusual shapes to the roofline); A pond just outside the back of the living quarters; the view from the breezeway that separates the main living quarters on the left and the communal dining room, kitchen and the workrooms toward the right; one of the many petro glyphs unearthed during the construction of Taliesin.
Photographs aren’t permitted in the living room and bedrooms, so I snapped some photos around the grounds, which you can see above. 
Photo at right is a sculpture on the grounds (not Wright’s work, but done by a full-time artist-in-residence sculptor at Taliesin.) Our guide was superlative at giving us an in-depth explanation about the man and his life. Very impressive, I thought. During the tour itself the guide did not mention Mamah Cheney, but when someone asked where Wright is buried, she told the story. (And by the way, the book, Loving Frank, was not apparent anywhere in the Taliesin bookstore.) What was interesting, is that after Wright died in 1959, his request was that he be buried next to Mamah Cheney (remember, he had been married for more than 30 years to Olgivanna) in Illinois. And he was. BUT, some time later when Olgivanna was very old (and living at Taliesin) and in failing health, she told her minions to unearth Frank Lloyd Wright from his grave in Illinois and bring his body to Arizona. Nobody was consulted, and it sounded like the act was done in dark of night within hours of Olgivanna’s request. Following her death, at her request, their bodies were both cremated, the ashes comingled and the ashes were buried in some unknown place at Taliesin West. Our guide said that she thought someone knew (someone who is part of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the entity that runs both Taliesins and the architectural school), but it’s kept top secret.
It was a fascinating tour, but even more so because I’d read the book about Wright and Mamah Cheney. I’d highly recommend you do so also, and then go visit one or more of Wright’s homes or buildings. And if you’re ever in the Scottsdale area, you should visit Taliesin West.
A year ago: Margaritas
Two years ago: Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Dried Cherries and Oatmeal
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