taliesin east.
In late October of 2020, I found myself in Wisconsin visiting my sister. Less than an hour away stood the Wisconsin Frank Lloyd Wright trail containing one of his private residences, Taliesin East. Naturally, I had to go. Frank Lloyd Wright was the first designer I knew by name as a kid. His distinct and custom residences drew me to him. Taliesin East and Falling Water were always my two favorite projects. I couldn’t wrap my head around the drama and misfortune of a single home burning twice and the loss of lives at such a notable place. The way the home was rebuilt after each fire inspired me — no obstacle should discourage me from attaining a goal. I wanted to share my favorite parts of the estate tour.
the studio.
The studio/training zone of the estate was visited first. The gathering space we first entered was just beautiful in the midday light. The open mezzanine with no railing ought to give you a fright! The way this space reacted to sound wasn’t surprising: many hard materials lead to sound amplification and reverberation. However, when talking with students on multiple levels, amplification would be necessary in order for regular levels of volume to be used.
I didn’t realize at the time, but the School of Architecture at Taliesin — comprised of around 30 students who seasonally move between Taliesin East and West during their time at the school — had officially closed its doors in June of 2020 just 4 months prior. Even so, experiencing the studio space brought me great joy.
the auditorium.
The large tapestry, the extreme slope of the seating, the triangular stage - all of these things help to make Taliesin’s auditorium recognizable and intriguing. No matter what seat you choose to sit in, you have an amazing unobstructed view due to the choice of such a height difference in every seating row. Your knees are at the shoulder line of the person in front of you, and so on. The auditorium’s angular shape also helps with natural audio projection. Most speakers and theatrical presentations conducted here did not need microphone or volume-enhancing measures.
the residence.
It was amazing to experience the design concepts of Frank Lloyd Wright in practice. The low ceilings that have left common design vernacular were so impactful as they led into the higher open ceilings of the adjacent spaces. My favorite part of the residence was the open-plan living and dining space. The 360-degree views from the wide-pane windows were absolutely breathtaking. The intentionality of every furnishing, layout, and room orientations were very appreciated during our visit. I can only imagine the meditative calmness that could be achieved in living here. The Wisconsin countryside is impressive in how it seemed to continue on in all directions from the home.
During our visit, we were asked not to photograph the private bedroom spaces. However, they were magnificently on par with the rest of the property.
