Taliesin West

Taliesin West is a residence and architecture laboratory in Scottsdale, built in the Sonoran Desert at the base of the McDowell Mountains. The complex stretches across several low buildings connected together, housing workspace areas, living quarters, theaters, and communal rooms.

Wright moved here in the late nineteen thirties and used the site as a winter retreat and school for his apprentices. The buildings grew gradually over decades, with many structures dating from his later career.

The name comes from a Welsh bard and reflects the architect's connection to his heritage. Visitors often notice the warm tones of the stone walls, quarried directly from the surrounding desert and glowing in the sunlight.

Tours guide visitors through different parts of the compound and show how daylight enters the rooms through skylights and openings. Most areas sit at ground level and are reached by wide, sloping paths that follow the desert terrain.

The ceilings in many rooms are made of red canvas panels stretched between wooden beams, recalling the early tent roofs. Wright replaced these textiles regularly because they faded quickly in the hot sun.

Location: Scottsdale

Inception: 1937

Architects: Frank Lloyd Wright

Part of: The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

Address: 12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Phone: +(888)5160811

Website: https://franklloydwright.org/taliesin-west

GPS coordinates: 33.60639,-111.84528

Latest update: December 12, 2025 17:46