Paolo Soleri passed away eight years ago, April 9, 2013 at the age of 93. I was fortunate to attend a University of Arizona lecture by Dr. Soleri in the 1970’s. He was at the height of his accomplishments that afternoon and for an hour we vicariously shared his vision and philosophy. What most impressed me was Dr. Soleri’s openness and humanity. Solari’s vision was of an architecture of a dense occupation of humanity that has a minimal environmental impact, Arcology was the term he coined for this idea. I remembered that hour and Arcosanti, his desert village north of Phoenix since then.
Thirty years later my personal project of reconnecting to the University of Arizona brought me for the first time to Arcosanti. In that time, Dr. Soleri’s trained thousands of students and his desert village grew slowly. Arcosanti is now a vision that achieved a center while events which seemed to pass it by, actually are stones with the strength of Dr. Solari’s ideas and humanity.
Here is a sampling of architectural details from Arcosanti, a place that is real enough and quite charming. To find the site, head north on US Route 17 in Phoenix, travel about 67 miles to Cordes Lakes and take Arcosanti Road to the site.
Pam Checking Her Equipment prior to our visit the summer of 2008.
Click any photograph to visit my “Arizona” online gallery.
Entrance and a Tower of the Crafts III building
Ceramics Apse Sand Cast Panels I
Ceramics Apse Sand Cast Panels II
Ceramics Apse Sand Cast Panels III
Bell and Panel from the Colly Soleri Amphitheater
Bell Casting was and continues to be a major source of income.
View from the East Housing complex to the East Across Arcosanti
View to the South with Cypress Trees from a Portal of the Crafts III Building
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 
This is fascinating! How lucky you were to attend that lecture and to hear about his vision first-hand. But how interesting also to see the architecture’s almost Brutalist style … not what I would have expected for a philosophy that seeks to emphasize the human and his/her relationship to the environment.
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Archologies only exist as plans and are huge structure housing millions of people. So think very large. Thanks for your visit and insightful comments, Heide.
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Your post makes me want to look more into arcology, perhaps even some day to visit Arcosanti. Thank you!
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It is time well spent. He published some fascinating books.
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What a pretty way to cut out the sky !
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lots of sky to slice out there
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