Park of China
Overview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2019) |
| Name | The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Country | United States of America |
| Nearby cities | Phoenix |
| Nearby sites | Saguaro National Park, Petrified Forest National Park |
| Latitude, longitude | 33.61, -111.85 Google Maps |
| Themes | Building, Museum, Culture, Modern-era architecture |
About
The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as a cultural site.
Travel tips
What is included: eight buildings in six states: Unity Temple and Robie House in Illinois, Taliesin and the Jacobs House in Wisconsin, Hollyhock House in California, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, Taliesin West in Arizona, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Taliesin West: in Scottsdale, Arizona, northeast of Phoenix; it was Wright's winter home and studio and is visited mainly on guided tours. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has domestic and international flights.
Fallingwater: in Stewart Township, Pennsylvania, between Mill Run and Ohiopyle, about 116 km southeast of Pittsburgh, so a car is needed. It is built over a waterfall and is seen on guided tours.
Guggenheim Museum: on Fifth Avenue in New York next to Central Park; the spiral ramp is the main feature and the galleries can be visited freely during exhibitions.
Chicago area: Robie House stands near the University of Chicago on the south side, and Unity Temple, with other early Wright buildings, is in the suburb of Oak Park. Both can be reached by public transport and seen in a day.
Elsewhere: Hollyhock House is in Barnsdall Art Park in Los Angeles; Taliesin in Spring Green and the Jacobs House in Madison are both in Wisconsin and can be combined.
Booking: most buildings are visited on guided tours, and places are limited in high season, so book ahead. Some interiors are not open and can only be seen from outside.
Time and season: the eight sites are far apart, so most visitors choose a few. Spring and autumn are best; Arizona is very hot in summer, with winter the best time for Taliesin West; Fallingwater is at its best in autumn.
Why it was inscribed
A witness to exchange between cultures.
This site comprises eight buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the first half of the 20th century, including Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Robie House in Chicago and Taliesin in Wisconsin. They show his “organic architecture”: open plans, interiors that flow into the outdoors, and bold use of steel and concrete, with a strong influence on 20th-century modern architecture.