The American Institute of Architects recognized Frank Lloyd Wright in 1991 as “the greatest American architect of all time” because he not only created some of the most breathtaking structures himself, but he also inspired his very own style of architectural design, the Prairie School. Wright’s Prairie Style derived its inspiration from nature and not classical Roman and Greek traditions, making it completely original.

Taliesin West symbolizes Wright’s monumentally successful career as an architect and his dedication to preserving the principles of his architectural style for future generations. Wright created his very own architecture academy at his home in Wisconsin in 1932. In order to escape the harsh Wisconsin winters in the original Taliesin, Wright bought his architectural oasis on top of a mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wright thought that the site was perfect for teaching, learning, and living. He and his twenty-three pupils began construction in 1937, but Wright continued to alter the structure until his death in 1959.

Under Wright’s tutelage Taliesin West offered architectural students an excellent opportunity to work directly with the famous architect on actual building projects. Students worked on the Guggenheim Museum, the Price Tower, the Florida Southern College campus, the Grady Gammage Auditorium, the Annunciation Green Orthodox Church, several planned communities and the expansion of Taliesin West. As the architectural field became more academically structured, requiring architectural schools to meet certain standards, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture met those demands. The school housed at Taliesin West is now a fully functioning and prestigious architectural institution.