Thursday, June 13, 2013

UPDATE - David and Gladys Wright House

On June 8, 2017, the 150th anniversary of Wright's birth, the home's current owner, Zach Rawling, announced he was donating the home to the School of Architecture at Taliesin, formerly known as the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.



The property has been saved and owner identified. Click HERE for details. 


"...a part of the desert, a plant that grows out of the earth and turns its face toward the sun...a house on piers and yet rooted to the soil, a house as light as air and yet as secure looking as a desert rock." Frank Lloyd Wright



Wright designed and built this home for his fourth son by his first wife in 1952. David and Gladys Wright lived in it during their lifetime and it stayed in the family until four years ago when Mr. Wright’s three great granddaughters sold it to a family for $2.8 million because they could no longer afford the upkeep. They thought the family would live in it and care for it, however, the new family recently sold it to the Nevada developer, 8081 Meridian Corporation for $1.8 million in June intending to tear it down to build new homes. When word of this got out, it spawned a public outrage within the community and with all admirers of Frank Lloyd Wright and his important contribution to modern architecture. As a result, the developer is giving the Wright home a second chance. For a short time, the opportunity exists for someone to buy out the developer. 




 The house is Wright's only residence based on the same spiral plan that resulted in the later construction of the Guggenheim Museum.






The residence is lifted off of the desert floor in a spiraling design, a ramp-way provides access; all terminating in the master suite. Such design allowed for systems placement and concealment as well as to catch a gentle desert breeze.

A reinforced concrete floor cantilevers the space and the interiors are of Philippine mahogany. A beautiful home, it gracefully curls on itself, while maintaining a subtle elevation above the landscape that provides stunning views of Camelback Mountain, intentionally placed at a height above the surrounding citrus orchards, now all but gone or built-out with residences. Click HERE to see a 1957 aerial.



Click HERE to see at wikimapia. Bing Streetside. Zillow.





The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives  have been jointly acquired by Columbia University’s Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library and the Museum of Modern Art and are being transferred to New York City. Local reaction.

3 comments:

  1. it amazes me that as time goes on, these developers don't get any smarter or display any taste or conscience. between this moron, the bonehead that tore down La Ronda and the idiot that demolished the Lloyd Wright house in CA, i sometimes wish there was a vengeful god who could give this dummies what they so richly deserve.

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  2. It is shocking that demolition is even mentioned in the same sentence when discussing a FLW house. It is akin to throwing the Rembrandt into the fireplace because you need to free up some wall space for other paintings. Absurd and frightening to think such a home has no local landmark protection and that there is still no guarantee that demolition is not in its future. The developer is extending a temporary second chance. Hopefully the local community takes action to ensure its survival.

    Archibuff

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  3. Phonenix Planining Commission votes for historical designation - http://www.arcadiadaily.com/news/local-news/general-news/1061-commission-votes-in-favor-of-wright-designation

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