December 30, 2010
During this trip John and I were a little adventurous, opting to stay about 40 minutes from Mesa. We wanted to experience the legendary Arizona Biltmore, a luxurious hotel built in the late 1920s. Every US President (except Obama) has stayed in this hotel. Its fame largely derives from the fact that Frank Lloyd Wright was a consultant on its design. In 1928, Albert Chase McArthur (the architect), who had worked for Wright in his Oak Park, Illinois studio, invited Wright out to Arizona
to provide advice on using the textured concrete block system that he had pioneered. This was Wright's first visit to Arizona, and he fell in love with the desert. While there is a lot of speculation as to what exactly was designed by Wright at the Biltmore, there is a general consensus that he designed the "cottages" (see second photo from bottom) and the stained glass window. The iconic design in the concrete (known as the Biltmore tile) is supposed to be a palm frond radiating in both directions. The concrete figures in the bottom photo with John are "sprites," which were part of Wright's design for the Midway Gardens in Chicago. These figures are not original, but were recast from broken pieces when the Midway Gardens were demolished.
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