Taliesin, Wisconsin

Frank Lloyd Wright is not my favorite architect, perhaps because I have the feeling that he wasn't the nicest of persons.  Anyway his works are still very interesting and inspiring.  

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin.  Frank Lloyd Wright lived here after he left Chicago.  This complex of buildings served as his house, his office and also an architecture school.  To this day the building still houses the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.  

To this day people live in the complex, in what seems to be a self-sustainable community, with the residents growing their own food in the fields surrounding the property.  The views here are awesome, and there is a sense of calm and peacefulness.  The actual house is very nice and very homey.  It has been kept almost as it was when its owner lived in it, with the exception of some changes which were made by the late Mrs. Wright.

It is interesting to note that this house had a twin: Taliesin West in Arizona.  The whole household/school would move there in the winter months, because its warmer in Arizona.  Apparently it can get very cold here in Wisconsin in winter.  I will have to visit Taliesin West.

This is my favorite part of the house.  The u-shaped house is built to the side of the top of the hill.  This makes this garden feel like an enclosed courtyard, surrounded by the house on three sides and the top of the hill on the other side.  The garden as the house is decorated with sculpture and other interesting features.  The water trickling down from the various pool, adds to the serenity of the garden.