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All the United States Arizona Scottsdale Frank Lloyd Wright Spire
AO Edited

Frank Lloyd Wright Spire

Originally conceived as part of a proposed Arizona State Capitol building in the 1950s, this structure built in 2004 stands as a monument to the architect's legacy.

Scottsdale, Arizona

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Frank Lloyd Wright Spire   Marine 69-71/CC BY-SA 4.0
The Frank Lloyd Wright Spire   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion posts   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Wright spire   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Pavilion   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Bus Stop   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Tree of Life windows   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Wright inspired gate   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Taliesin West inspired wall   cyccommute / Atlas Obscura User
Bad elf   Schweg / Atlas Obscura User
  riknoring / Atlas Obscura User
Glowing as the sun a just past sunset   Schweg / Atlas Obscura User
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This 125-foot tower was part of a design that architect Frank Lloyd Wright proposed in 1957 as Arizona's new State Capitol in Papago Park. Called "The Oasis," Wright's vision included a canopy of honeycombed glass and a delicate spire atop each of the three wings. At the time, the design was rejected by Arizona for being too “modern,” and for many years it sat as one of the hundreds of Wright designs that were never implemented. 

But in 2004, the Promenade Scottsdale wanted a focal point for its shopping center. Working with one of Wright’s apprentices, Arnold Roy, they resurrected the tower elements from the design, and built one on the corner of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Scottsdale Road.

The tower is constructed from 1,700 individual pieces of steel and weighs 75,000 pounds. The colors of the spire were chosen to represent the colors of turquoise and copper ores that are very prevalent throughout the Arizona landscape. Internal LED lighting turns on each night. It sits amongst several Wright design elements including a pavilion, reflecting pool, and sculpture park containing pieces by Heloise Crista, who joined the Taliesin West collective in 1949 and passed away in 2019.

The surrounding buildings have incorporated several classic elements of Frank Lloyd Wright's style, including Tree of Life glass windows in restaurants, Wright-inspired gates on several physical plant areas, and even a Wright-inspired bus stop. The spire is about 7 miles north-west of Taliesin West, the winter home that Wright established in 1937.

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Art Outside Towers Frank Lloyd Wright Monuments Architecture

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cyccommute

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Sax Russel, cdanesh, Schweg, Michelle Cassidy...

  • Sax Russel
  • cdanesh
  • Schweg
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • riknoring
  • cjklever
  • boopparc
  • joeypesto

Published

January 20, 2022

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  • https://saltriverstories.org/items/show/298?tour=26&index=2
  • https://imagesarizona.com/the-tale-of-the-spire/
Frank Lloyd Wright Spire
7207 E Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd
Scottsdale, Arizona, 85260
United States
33.637668, -111.924893
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