Zoocap

In 1956, Paolo Soleri settled on the eastern side of the greater Phoenix area, in the city of Scottsdale.  Soleri was born and grew up in Turin, Italy, and upon completing his degree in Architecture at the Torino Polytechnico, he moved to the Arizona desert to study at Taliesin West with Frank Loyld Wright.  He has garnered many awards over the years, and when he returned for a visit to Italy, he founded the Ceramica Artistica Solimene. This is where he developed, among many other things, the bronze windchimes that so many people living in and traveling through the city of Phoenix so covet.

All around the city, you will find these chimes decorating the homes and balconies, the patios of the restaurants in some of the finest hotels in Phoenix, and in the carry on satchels of those traveling back home.  For the past thirty years, the sales of these chimes have contributed funds for his ongoing architectural project, Arcosanti.  Arcosanti is part of the commitment Soleri made to himself when he moved to Scottsdale, a commitment to experimentation and research in urban development and planning.

Arcosanti is a small village, which houses five thousand people, and has been undergoing construction and modifications beginning in 1970.  It is a way of combining ecology and architecture, which will leave the smallest footprint on the environment as possible.  There is minimal use of raw material, and a great reduction in the use of non-renewable energy and resources.  The site is open for touring seven days a week, the hours Monday-Saturday being 9am to 5pm, and on Sunday from 11am-5pm.

To pop in at any time during operating hours you will take a self guided tour, for group tours previous scheduling arrangements are necessary.  The gardens located throughout Arcosanti are beautiful to wander through, and many times people choose to have their celebrations here.  Most of the residents are artists, so along with the famous windchimes you will find various objects created by those living on the site.  It really is a grand place, in every way, so on your next trip through the Arizona desert, make sure to find some time for a visit to Arcosanti.