Archinect - News

Taliesin's $1.1 million restored Hillside Theater debuts in Wisconsin

2024-06-13T13:41:00-04:00

Taliesin Preservation’s restoration of the Hillside Theater at Frank Lloyd Wright’s former estate in Spring Green, Wisconsin, has been completed following a five-year and $1.1 million transformation effort for The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Originally designed in 1903 to serve the Hillside Home School that was included in the 800-acre estate in the heavily forested Driftless Area, the space is now once again capable of hosting theatrical productions and will precede its public reopening with a series of film screenings and musical performances throughout the summer.

Photo by Tim Long, courtesy of Taliesin Preservation

Aspects of the restoration work included adding a new HVAC system, repairing subgrade water damage, ADA-compliant accessibility enhancements, adding two new green rooms to the basement, and issuing major repairs to the building's roof and interior/exterior finishes.

Photo by Kyle Dockery, courtesy of Taliesin Preservation

The hand-sewn curtain, gifted to Wright by p...

Leaders of the School of Architecture at Taliesin and Cosanti share their vision for the future of “organic architecture”

2020-06-15T15:37:00-04:00

In recent weeks the leaders of the School of architecture at Taliesin have begun to make plans for moving the school to Cosanti, some eight miles to the west of the school's current site.

Last week, Archinect spoke with Dan Schweiker, Chair of Governing Board for Taliesin, Chris Lasch, Interim President of Taliesin and former Dean of the school, and Patrick McWhortor, President and CEO of Cosanti, to learn more about the planned transition.

Previously on Archinect: "Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture at Taliesin shutters its doors after 88 years." Photo of Taliesin West, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Image courtesy of Wikimedia user Maarten Nijman.

Describing the process at hand, Schweiker explains that the school had moved on after unsuccessfully negotiating with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for approval to continue using the Taliesin West facilities moving forward. In January of this year, the school and foundation announced that the school would shut down at the e...

A potential future for the School of Architecture at Taliesin begins to take shape

2020-05-06T18:59:00-04:00

Back in early March, it was announced that the Board of Directors of the School of Architecture at Taliesin (SOAT) had turned back a decision it made in January to shut down following a protracted tenancy dispute with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

In a press release announcing the initial plan to close down, the school wrote: "[SOAT] will cease operations after this semester, after a gut-wrenching decision by its Governing Board [...] The School of Architecture at Taliesin was not able to reach an agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to keep the school open."

Previously on Archinect: "Taliesin School of Architecture Board votes to rescind planned closure." What will be the fate of Frank Lloyd Wright's Beloved School of Architecture at Taliesin? Image © Flickr user Christopher Michel.

The school's initial decision to close down came as SOAT struggled to raise additional funds to keep its operations going, a circumstance that changed following the groundswell of sympa...

Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation responds to latest Taliesin news

2020-03-06T16:36:00-05:00

Following the latest news that the Board of Directors of the School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT) has voted to reconsider a previous decision to close the school, Archinect reached out to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for comment.

Previously on Archinect: "BREAKING: Taliesin School of Architecture Board votes to rescind planned closure." What will be the fate of Frank Lloyd Wright's Beloved School of Architecture at Taliesin? Image © Christopher Michel (2017)Flickr.

In response, the Foundation, which owns and maintains the buildings at both of the Taliesin locations used by the school, issued a lengthy statement, which has been published in full below. Archinect will continue to publish updates and additional reporting on the developing situation.

Statement from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation:

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation learned through stories the School of Architecture’s lawyers had placed in the media of their change in plans to remain open based on its assessm...

BREAKING: Taliesin School of Architecture Board votes to rescind planned closure

2020-03-05T18:17:00-05:00

Editor's Note: This is a developing story, Archinect will be updating this post as new information comes to light.

Archinect has learned that the Board of Directors for the School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT) voted this week to rescind their previous decision to close its facilities.

According to a statement sent to Archinect by Kirkland & Ellis, a law firm that is currently representing the school, the decision was made following significant student outcry over the planned closure and as the school has “secured additional funding” to remain open.

Additionally, the statement adds, “The Board confirmed that its financial situation is such that it has long-term viability, especially in light of new support that has come forward since January of this year.”

The...

Students at the School of Architecture at Taliesin release a statement about the controversial closure

2020-02-04T12:15:00-05:00

Following the shocking news about the impending closure of Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture at Taliesin, and the subsequent conversation we released on our podcast, with individuals closely connected with the school, the student body has broken their silence and shared with us a statement.

Statement of the Student Body School of Architecture at Taliesin

“It is not enough to leave behind you monuments of buildings, you owe it to future generations to leave monuments of human beings” - Olgivanna Lloyd Wright

The imminent closure of the School of Architecture at Taliesin has left its student body stunned and deeply distraught. To discontinue eighty-eight years of an alternative pedagogical model is at least as destructive as the demolition of a physical architectural masterwork. To close this school is to dismantle one of the great visions and traditions of the past century; and to preserve the culture that sustains a built environment such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin...

What happened at The School of Architecture at Taliesin??? A conversation with Benjamin Aranda, Cruz Garcia and Ryan Scavnicky

2020-01-31T18:17:00-05:00

On this special (and very spontaneous) episode of Archinect Sessions we are joined with three members of the Taliesin community to help shed some light on the mysterious and disturbing sudden announcement of the closure of The School of Architecture at Taliesin. With us are Benjamin Aranda, partner at Aranda\Lasch with Chris Lasch, the Dean at The School of Architecture at Taliesin; Cruz Garcia co-director at WAI Architecture Think Tank and a previous visiting teaching fellow at The School of Architecture at Taliesin; and Ryan Scavnicky of Extra Office, and former visiting teaching fellow at The School of Architecture at Taliesin.

Our conversation shares our guest's experiences at the school, with insight into the questionable relationship between the foundation and the school. We talk about what happened this week, how these events conflict with Frank Lloyd Wright's wishes, as outlined in his will, about the direction of the foundation as an institution for learning, and the troub...

Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture at Taliesin shutters its doors after 88 years

2020-01-28T14:27:00-05:00

The School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT), which maintains campuses in Scottsdale, Arizona and Spring Green Wisconsin, is closing down following an 88-year run as the institution tasked with carrying on the intellectual design legacy of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

What happened?

An announcement from the school states: "The School of Architecture at Taliesin will cease operations after this semester, after a gut-wrenching decision by its Governing Board on Saturday. The School of Architecture at Taliesin was not able to reach an agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to keep the school open." The school is currently directed by educator and critic Aaron Betsky.

After a tough couple years, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture has a new lease on life—and a new name

2017-04-24T20:41:00-04:00

T he Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture has had a rough go of things the last few years. The school, which is located at the historic winter home of Wright, Taliesin West, almost lost its accreditation because it wasn’t financially independent from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Things got so bad that they temporarily suspended new enrollment.

Then, the critic Aaron Betsky took over the deanship and was able to fundraise enough to keep the school accredited. Now, to mark their new, more-removed relationship to the Foundation, the school has been renamed the School of Architecture at Taliesin.

“Adopting this new name, the School of Architecture at Taliesin, helps us to secure our identity as an experimental, forward-looking architecture program that is deeply rooted in the Taliesin Fellowship,” Betsky states. “The process in which we developed our new relationship with the Foundation and our accreditors has been an opportunity to closely examine who we are as a school and ho...

Get Lectured: Taliesin, Spring '17

2017-01-23T14:05:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter & Spring 2017

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session for Winter and Spring 2017. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss. Mark those calendars!

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Have a look at which notable architects will be lecturing at the Taliesin: The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture for Spring '17. Unless noted, lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Pavilion at Taliesin West: 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ.

Jan 26
Craig Hodgetts and Ming Fung / Hodgetts + Fung

March 2
5:00 p.m.
Eric Owen Moss / Eric Owen Moss Architects

March 16
Francine Houben / Mecanoo

March 29
Tatiana Bilbao / Tatiana Bilbao Estudio

April 3
Michiel Riedijk / Neutelings Riedijk Arch...

Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture reaches fundraising goal of $2M, working towards independence from foundation

2015-12-23T12:43:00-05:00

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture has issued a statement that it has reached its 2015 fundraising goal of $2 million – a crucial milestone towards establishing the school's independence from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The goal of becoming an independent subsidiary of the foundation became necessary when new accreditation regulations established in 2011 required the school to be financially and administratively independent or risk being stripped of its accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.

In this latest statement, the school says: "As part of the agreement, the Foundation will continue to support the School financially over the next four years, investing over $1.4 in its operating costs and future growth. In addition, it will donate the extensive use of historic, residential, and classroom facilities at Taliesin and Taliesin West, which cost the Foundation over $1 million in cash a year for the spaces utilized by the School. Combined with the more than...

With $1.5M to go, Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture approaches first fundraising milestone towards independence

2015-08-05T12:59:00-04:00

In December of last year, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation announced that it would try to fundraise $2M by the end of 2015, in order to establish The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture as an independent organization. The Foundation set a $1M goal to be reached by the end of August 2015, and is now half way there – but must raise the remaining funds by August 25 in order to continue fundraising as planned.

From a press release issued by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation yesterday, the Chair of the School's Board of Governors, Jacalyn Lynn, asked those who wish to see the school continue operating to donate to the "Campaign for Independence" cause:

“Without significant and immediate support, there will no longer be a stand-alone accredited Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. This campaign is the only opportunity to save the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture as we know it – and to ensure its success and impact for decades to come."

Past news from Taliesin's rocky hi...

Let's be Frank: Archinect Sessions Episode 15 with Aaron Betsky, Taliesin's new Dean

2015-02-05T14:29:00-05:00

It seems as if the tumult and intrigue that ran through Frank Lloyd Wright's life has lived on at Taliesin. After being embroiled in accreditation issues, suspending Fall 2013 enrollment, and working through rocky fundraising plans, Taliesin recently appointed Aaron Betsky to lead the school and help it regain solid footing. Betsky was previously the Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum and has quite the art/architecture pedigree: he's served as the Director of the 2008 International Architecture Biennale in Venice, SFMOMA's Curator of Architecture and Design, and the Director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam.

Betsky joined Paul, Amelia, Donna and Ken on the podcast to talk about his plans to make Taliesin the best experimental architecture school in the world, and its role in the changing tides of architecture education. It also turns out that Betsky is quite the DJ.

News this week was also rather Wright-ous, with the nomination of 10 FLW structures to the UNES...

Get Lectured: Taliesin, Spring '15

2015-01-27T15:49:00-05:00

Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Winter-Spring 2015

Archinect's Get Lectured is back in session! Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any upcoming lectures you don't want to miss.

The next featured lectured poster comes from Taliesin: The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. Their Spring '15 series "Free and Open to the Public" will explore open-source, pro bono, and public space design by some of the world's leading architects and designers.

Want to share your school's lecture series? Send us your school's lecture series poster and details to connect@archinect.com.

Lectures take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Pavilion Theatre. Free and open to the public.

Below are upcoming events:

Jan 29
Matt Passmore / MoreLab - Oakland, CA

Feb 12
Emily Pilloton / Project H Design - Berkeley, CA

March 19
Mitch Joachim / Terreform ONE - NYC

For lecture updates, visit ...

Weekly News Round-Up for January 19, 2015

2015-01-26T20:46:00-05:00

Sunday, January 25:

Aaron Betsky To Lead Taliesin West: Effective immediately, Betsky will "set the intellectual tone or the School " as it undergoes a rough and potentially definitive funding period.

Friday, January 23:

Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House to reopen once again in February: So culminates a six-year and nearly $4.4M restoration project, to return the house to its early 20th century state.

Thursday, January 22:

Megataaaall Shanghai Tower enters final construction phase: It's 632 meters tall, symbolizes China's Future, and is flanked by two other skyscrapers repping China's Past and Present.

David Chipperfield pledges to carefully "optimize" Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie: Chipperfield also renovated Berlin's Neues Museum, and plans to "keep as much Mies as possible".

Wednesday, January 21:

'Can of Ham' skyscraper coming to London after all: Delayed since 2008 after the financial crisis hit, the hamscraper will sit in close company to London's Gherkin.

Monday, January...

Aaron Betsky To Lead Taliesin West

2015-01-25T19:10:00-05:00

“I look forward to continuing the tradition of experimental architecture he did so much to define.”

Betsky seems to be the man of the hour these days, writing popularly discussive articles in defense of architecture and participating in social media. Congratulations and looking forward to seeing what becomes of the heavily branded institution in need of a new life.

Wright Architecture School Sets Fund-raising Goal for Independence

2014-12-15T13:12:00-05:00

The architecture school run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation will try to raise $2 million before the end of 2015 to ensure its future as an independent organization, the foundation announced on Monday, having approved a possible path toward the school’s incorporation. [...] The foundation’s board had initially decided not to incorporate the school separately, for fear of losing control over its operations. But objections from school supporters prompted the board to reconsider.

Previously: New Plan for Architecture School at Wright Foundation

New Plan for Architecture School at Wright Foundation

2014-10-31T15:00:00-04:00

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has approved a possible path toward independent incorporation of its architecture school – providing fund-raising targets are met, Sean Malone, the foundation’s president and chief executive, said in a note sent Wednesday evening to people involved in the school.

Previously: Spiralling Tensions at Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture School

Spiralling Tensions at Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture School

2014-08-27T17:36:00-04:00

The architecture school run by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on Wednesday criticized a decision by the foundation’s board that will result in the school losing its accreditation. Last week, the Higher Learning Commission, a Chicago-based nonprofit that accredits universities and colleges, told the school it would lose its accreditation in 2017.

Previously: Taliesin faces loss of accreditation, suspends fall enrollment

UPDATE: New Plan for Architecture School at Wright Foundation