An innovative and iconic pillar in the architecture world is closing its doors. The School of Architecture at Taliesin (SoAT) will cease operations after this semester, after a gut-wrenching decision by its Governing Board on Saturday.
The School of Architecture at Taliesin was not able to reach an agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to keep the school open.
The acclaimed architecture school was established in 1932 by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The school has been integral to Wright’s visionary architecture. Top architectural students from across the U.S. and the world have studied at the school.
In response to the school’s decision to close, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is preparing to expand educational programs for professionals.
In discussions between the organizations, SoAT Board leaders had communicated unequivocally to the Foundation that the School did not have a sustainable business model that would allow it to maintain its operation as an accredited program. As a result, leaders of the Boards of the two organizations had developed a proposal that would have allowed the school to continue operations on the Foundation’s two campuses—use of which was donated to SoAT by the Foundation since it became an independent organization—through the end of July, 2021. During that transition period, the organizations would have worked collaboratively to develop alternative programs for which accreditation was not needed.
“The Foundation had reached an agreement with the leaders of the SoAT Board that would have allowed for second- and third-year students to complete their education at Taliesin and Taliesin West, and we are disappointed that it was not approved by the full SoAT Board. We continue to stand ready to assist in making sure that this change occurs in the best interests of the students,” said Stuart Graff, President and CEO of the Foundation.
In light of the SoAT announcement, the Foundation will maintain and expand its impact on the field of architecture and design by advancing Wright’s legacy through its educational programs, K-12 through adult ongoing education. The Foundation wants to ensure that it has the ability to work with a variety of partners to develop professional education programs for architects, preservation specialists, and design professionals that will keep the Taliesin campuses vital places for the development of organic architecture in the future.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has been experiencing substantial growth, with record numbers of visitors, expanded student participation in its education programs, added new arts programming and increased philanthropic support. Its campuses, Taliesin and Taliesin West, are National Historic Landmarks and are included in the Frank Lloyd Wright UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription.
As the Foundation makes plans to continue Wright’s legacy of general and professional education, new programs will permit it to invest its financial and physical resources in its core mission by developing more inclusive, broader opportunities for promoting and sharing the legacy of the iconic architect’s vision. Taliesin and Taliesin West remain open, welcoming visitors from around the world to experience Wright’s homes and working environment, and programming—including tours, events, arts, and K-12 education—carries on without interruption.
The School of Architecture at Taliesin was previously named the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture. It was renamed in 2017. Students split their time between Wright’s retreats housed at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona and Taliesin in Spring Green, Wisconsin.
The School of Architecture at Taliesin has been a pillar both in the architecture world as well as Arizona and Wisconsin where Frank Lloyd Wright and his wife Olgivanna invited architecture students to live and work with them and immerse themselves in ‘organic architecture’.
That immersion evolved into the architecture school whose alumni have worked on important Frank Lloyd Wright designs including Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum.
“This is a sad and somber day for our school, our students and staff and the architecture community. We are saddened we could not reach an agreement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to continue operating the architecture school. Our innovative school and its mission were integral to Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for connecting architecture to our natural world. Wright’s legacy was not just building. It was a school to promulgate the lessons for all future generations,” said Dan Schweiker, Chairperson of the Board of Governors for the School of Architecture at Taliesin.
“The closure of the school is very emotional for our students, our faculty and staff and all of us who worked so hard for this one-of-a-kind institution and its important role in Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy. We did everything possible to fight for its survival but due to other forces it was not meant to be,” Schweiker said.
The School of Architecture at Taliesin (SOAT) will continue operating during the Spring 2020 Semester. The school will officially close by the end of June.
There are approximately 30 students currently enrolled at SOAT.
SOAT is working out an agreement with The Design School at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts so its students can transfer credits and complete their degree programs.
