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Arcosanti
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10 reviews for Arcosanti
Finally had a chance to tour this architectural experiment after first reading about it many months ago. I had visited Cosanti already, had seen the beautiful bells and heard of Soleri's visions of self-sustaining communities, and I couldn't wait to have a look at this dream in person.
Judging after the 51-minute tour my cousin and I, and a few other couples, took it's apparent that a few of the community's 75 residents have woken up from that dream. Most of the minutes were spent watching a video describing Soleri's background (born in Italy, apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright, learned bell-craftmanship while in Europe), his dreams of self-sustaining communities, and how humanity's obsession with the automobile is so detrimental to society's happiness and very existence.
While some parts of the community looked appealing (the entrance, the stairs leading up to the gift shop, cafe and bakery, and downstairs to the visitor's trail, and the pool), what tiny fraction of the grounds shown to us were in need of more than just dusting. The tour guide sounded to me like he'd spent many days memorizing his speeches detailing Soleri's plans for the community and its development, the bell-casting techniques, and the layout of what little has actually been built in thirty years; yet, he's only lived there for six months. I'd think that something as cool as Soleri's design of heat tunnels would be presented by showing us a model of these actual tunnels NOT being used as storage for folding tables and chairs. And were those residents who suddenly appeared in a courtyard watering grass, shooting some hoops, and just chillin' minutes after we were shown the area really enjoying a break? I hope so, but I left with a feeling that their appearances were all staged.
If you're on your way to Sedona and going there by pickup or jeep (good tires and excellent shock absorption HUGE pluses), then do stop by and have a look. I suggest that the tour be reworked, though (why weren't we shown to the guest rooms and the sky suites? This could've been an opportunity to sell overnight lodgings- so close to Sedona!). If Arcosanti does not receive the financial support it needs, I can only see this site as a getaway community for those who have a few thousand dollars and five weeks to spare to make bells (and get a great workout), or, if you can get six others to join you, an overnight stay for about $20 per person, including continental breakfast, in a sky suite. Don't forget a dip in the pool.
Skip the lunch buffet. Menu posted pasta, mini-burgers, meaty mac 'n cheese, soy entree, pinto beans, and rice, plus soups, salad bar, and bread. Right before buffet opened, mini-burgers were taken off the menu. Highlight for me was the natural peanut butter that may or may not have been freshly-ground on-site. I suspect it came from a jar. On-site bread was very good, but most of the breads were grocery-bought. Perhaps dinner buffet is better.
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I took the tour two years ago, and decided it would be an interesting place to stay for a few days--which my girlfriend and I did last month, while we were visiting relatives in Prescott. I mainly like the architecture and scenery, and I'm not looking to get on anyone's case about whether or not it is a fully-functioning community or completely self-reliant for utilities.
I figured it would be worth in to stay in the Sky Suite, since at $100/night, its not really more than a decent motel room. Much to our chagrin, the upkeep of the Suite was not quite up to the level of a decent motel-- it wasn't really "dirty", but it wasn't really clean either. Garbage from the previous guests was stacked outside the entry-way, and their toiletries were still in the shower-- which didn't appear to have been cleaned either. We gave them the benefit of the doubt that the sheets were clean. But there was a doubt. While I realize that Arcosanti's focus is not providing lodging, I feel that if you advertise and take money for lodging, you should at least be *trying*. If nothing else, its good public relations for the Suite to be an attractive destination--the space itself is really cool.
While housekeeping issues should be easy to rectify, it will be a bit harder for Arcosanti to make guests feel welcome in terms of the attitude of the folks on site. I'm not under the impression that its a commune or a cult or anything like that... but it is obviously a place for folks who are a bit out of the norm, and this translates into a lot of "what're you doing here?!" stares. Most people we ran into would barely return a "hello". Someone should probably explain to these folks that "tourists" are there to pump money into the project and promote good will-- neither things will happen if they continually get the stink-eye during their stay.
Also, the "continental breakfast" that we were allowed with our stay consisted of some industrial-grade bagels, pb&j, and yogurt and granola... kinda weak. As was the coffee.
The scenery was great and I really like the architecture, so we did wind up staying the three nights we booked (we were charged up front, and getting out of it didn't seem like it was going to be easy), but I would think that those in charge of Arcosanti would want people to come away thinking "I really want to go back" instead of "that was tolerable".
My husband lived at Arcosanti for about 11 months a couple of years ago, and we had our wedding and reception here. Everyone who flew in for our wedding was so impressed by the scenery and the unique structures. We have photos like few others do.
There are many misconceptions about Arcosanti, highlighted by the questions we got from our table mates during their Italian Night dinner and opera event this evening.
Arcosanti is NOT:
*a commune (Arco runs on a standard economy)
*an architecture school (you must be thinking of Taliesin West)
*a cult (this project has no ties to religion)
Arcosanti IS:
*a great place to see and experience
*committed to the arts and to the environment
*a project with idealistic beginnings that has grown very slowly, but is in fact still moving forward
When you have a stubborn architectural genius at the helm like Paolo Soleri (who is almost 90), things are done his way, or not at all. It will be interesting to see what becomes of the place when he is no longer making the decisions. The people who live and work at Arco tend to be very sincere and passionate about doing what they can to contribute to the project, and to live very consciously in an alternative environment. Is it perfect? Of course not. Do they have some great ideas? You bet. We sat with an architect from Toronto tonight, and he was thrilled to be there since he had not known until recently that Soleri had actually *done* something with the amazing sketches that he had seen many years ago.
If you haven't been, I encourage you to make a day trip of it. The bakery and the cafe serve great food, but you should be sure to bring your own water. For uninitiated tummies, Arco's can be too mineral rich. Tour the galleries, and try to see a foundry pour or a ceramics demonstration. It still may be difficult for those with disabilities to see the whole property, but they are making improvements to its accessibility. And be aware- there are some knockoffs of the famous Arcosanti bells being sold at places like the Desert Botanical Gardens. I lived in the Phoenix metro for 9 years before I even heard of Arco. It's an Arizona landmark that should not be missed.
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This place is ok. Food is organic, etc, and pretty tasty (actually really tasty) but I think there was a bug in the food. There was definitely a fly in the ice tea. But it's just that kind of place, so not a big deal.
The tour is kinda boring. The only part worth going to is the 10 minute video in the beginning.
I'd recommend going for lunch (if you are okay with the possibility of a bug in your food), seeing the video, and getting out!
I agree with Ten W.'s review. While the concept is very cool, the project really fell flat.
To quote Wikipedia, "Arcosanti is a self-contained experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona, 70 miles north of Phoenix. Architect Paolo Soleri, using a concept he calls arcology (a portmanteau of architecture and ecology), designed the town to demonstrate ways urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth."
Though the Arcosantian's would not approve, in my opinion, the concept was essentially a "commune." Though construction began 38 years ago, to date only a tiny percentage of Soleri's vision has been achieved. The buildings and property that do exist are not well maintained. To really understand what it's all about, I recommend visiting their website - http://www.arcosanti.org.
I went on a group tour led by a woman who has been at Arcosanti since it's early beginnings. Another person in our group (who apparently was involved in the project at the beginning) challenged her with questions regarding the lack of progress but she could not answer them. I guess no one really knows why it has not flourished as was intended. Perhaps finances.
The whole place reminds me of Epcot's future exhibition. Really cool and cutting edge when it first opened, but now just sort of shabby and dated. Another comparison that kept popping into my head during the tour was I felt as though this could be the grounds of the Darma Initiative (Lost fans will understand this reference).
On a positive note, the gift shop has a huge selection of the gorgeous bells that are produced at the Arcosanti foundry. The money Arcosanti makes selling the bells goes toward the building and maintenance of the site.
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Arcosanti is an urban living experiment, practing "arcology" or the blending of architechture and ecology to create optimal living conditions with minimal detriment to the environment. The project was started by Italian architech Paolo Soleri in 1970 and is far from complete. They just don't have the cash to get it finished.
Still, it's a great place to see. They offer tours, concerts, overnight stays in their limited quarters for a nominal fee, meals, discussions, etc. One of the ideas is to encourage cooperation between people by way of the structural details, including shared baths for overnight guests.
But more importantly, they theorize their city model would require just 2% of the land of standard cities, and would not require ANY cars. Their proposed development is for 5000 people. Frugal, efficient and very exciting. Most people will be a difficult sell when it comes to living in smaller spaces, closer to other people, relying more on their neighbors. I know what they mean - after so many years of privacy, each adult driving their own car, and urban sprawl, it's hard to imagine letting go of all that. Most of us are control freaks - are we products of our environments or the reason for them?
And if you never get to see Arcosanti, consider purchasing a ceramic artisan bell to support the cause. Or a brass one, or copper. They're all beautiful, and such a peaceful chime.
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An interesting place to visit for anyone interested in unique architectural concepts and especially those bent on helping the environment. If you like Taliesin West, you'll like Arcosanti. In fact, the creator, Paolo Soleri was a student of Wright.
The only problem was that after driving all that way up there, at the last minute we were informed there would not be another tour until later in the evening. Would've been nice to have been told on the phone, don'tcha think? The cafe was closed as well. Ooo, fun.
So unfortunately I have to give a 3 star rating for now until I can go back and actually take the tour.
I did end up home with a Soleri bell. It's a beautifully designed copper bell molded from dirt! It's no wonder Paolo Soleri made his fortune from the bells.
It intrigued me enough to make me want to go back to see the actual tour, and maybe even staying overnight. A night in the Sky Suite, the penthouse of Arcosanti will run you $100, not the $75 as stated in the website. But heck, you practially spend that much in a one bed room at other hotels. However, there doesn't seem to be any airconditioning in the suites, so I'd suggest going for an overnight when the air is cooler.
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i think that if you go to this place expecting it to be an utopia of sorts, you will leave with a sub-par image of it. much of it has to do with a lack of funding, and as the cost of construction skyrockets, their masterplan becomes even more intangible without big donors.
having always studied architecture history, this trip was well worth it for me. i had gone to Scottsdale for a wedding, but had some time before my flight home so i made the 1 hour drive north. off of the 17 at exit 262, you will find your way to a dirt road that leads into Arcosanti. don't drive too fast or you might run into cows crossing.
here are my pros & cons:
Pros:
- exploration of sustainable living
- Arcology
- $8.95 buffet lunch, mix of vegan & non-vegan.
- composting bins for left over lunch
- interesting composition of architecture
- the incomplete forms & materials are reminiscent of roman ruins, but has an amazing juxtaposition since you know its a work in progress and you try to imagine what it will be like (kinda like old books that tell you what the roman ruins USED to look like)
- a good mixture of presentation boards that show oldschool models as well as high-tech renderings.
- concrete silt casting...first time i've seen it and its quite an elegant way of adding coloration
Cons:
- as with a lot of avante garde architecture, a lack of maintenance will give off a sense of dated-ness.
- it is still plugged into the grid. for a self-sustaining complex, it really should be completely utility free. it is already zero-discharge, so that's good, but its gotta be zero-energy with all that free arizona sun & canyon winds.
- ironically, the only way to get there is to drive (the car is this antichrist in this urban lab)
- the tour was informative but mainly on the focus of the production of the bells & commune events, not enough about the architecture...but you need to be a part of the tour to see the site.
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This is a 3 stars with hesitation.
The idea and concept of this urban experiment is amazing, but the execution and what's been built are not quite amazing.
I heard about this italian architect Paolo Soleri's project awhile ago and always admire his attempt to such scale of urban experiment. Because it's an experiment, the place doesn't have to be prestine or highly planned, but it should look like a abandoned junk-land either.
We drove about 1.5 hours from Scottsdale to get there because we wanted to see the real project and not just the "Cosanti" tiny souvenir shop in Scottsdale. We were extremely disappointed once there. There's no sense of direction around the complex.
The complex is a series of construction in progress buildings. The main concrete tower is quite nice, the access point wasn't that obvious but we figure out eventually. Take the exit stair tower instead of first floor of the building itself to the upper exhibition floor. The tall space filled with light is really nice. They have somewhat comprehensive exhibition of Paolo Soleri's concepts, ideas and projects, which are very interesting and educational.
After that we were told the tour guides weren't available for that day so we tood a "self-guided" tour. Hmm.. that was basically walking around and getting lost.
One cool thing about the site is that they have resident artist lofts. Actually that would be a nice place to getaway and just do arts.
To learn more about Arconsanti, the website contains all the information you need to know:
http://www.arcosanti.o...
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It's probably safe to assume that most people don't know what Arcosanti is. The Arcosanti Project and I quote directly from the website is, "an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5,000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers."
Interesting, huh? People do live there now and plenty of tourists visit, although I don't know anyone else besides myself that has. There is a gallery, bakery and a cafe too, and even rooms for anyone interested in an overnight stay. If you want to take a road trip this summer, I recommend you go to Arcosanti. It will be unlike anything you've ever seen before and you just might learn something new, too.
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