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Arcosanti Arcosanti is the "arcology" of charismatic architect and visionary Paolo Soleri. (I was surprised it still exists.)
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| Tour | Bell Workshop | Lunch and Admin Building | |
| After-tour wander | |||
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Noriko had always wanted to see Arcostanti. It was "cool" when Noriko was in architecture school in the 70's. Its "arcology" concept was proposed by the Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri (1919-2013). He began construction in 1970, to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the Earth. He taught and influenced generations of architects and urban designers who studied and worked with him there to build the proposed "town". The most recently completed building was finished in 1989. The population has tended to vary between 50 and 150 people, many of them students and volunteers. The goal was for Arcosanti to house a population of 5,000 people. Thirteen major structures were built on the site, some several stories tall. The project has the goals of combining the social interaction and accessibility of an urban environment with sound environmental principles, such as minimal resource use and access to the natural environment. The reality falls (far) short of the ideals. | |||
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Our guide has resided at Arcosanti for - a couple years? Young people are still making the pilgrimage and opting to stay and work. The vision is alive though Soleri died long ago.
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_21may06-b_1124.jpg Our guide is no longer an innocent cult follower. She alluded to the tensions between paid staff, management and steering foundation.  |
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_21may06-k_1130.jpg This space serves as the clay products workshop.  |
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_21may05-n_2338.jpg Interesting roofscape.  |
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_21may06-n_0003.jpg The first-built structure, these arches.  |
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_21may06-b_1141.jpg Amphitheater  |
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_21may06-k_1152.jpg Long history of hands-on craft objects produced here.  |
_21may06-n_0002.jpg The water source and "water treatment facility".  |
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About 30% of the colony's income is from the sale of hand-cast bells. These are known all over the world. I've heard reference to "Arcosanti Bells" in literature.
There is no inherent relation to bells and to "arcology". I asked our guide about it. The bells were born of experiences in Solari's background. | ||
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_21may06-k_1210.jpg Casts removed, sand and fresh-cast bells cool.  |
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_21may06-n_0007.jpg A labor-intensive process.  |
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_21may06-k_1207.jpg Sand molds.  |
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_21may06-b_1250.jpg The food is very vegan, not due to principal but because this is a "food desert." The colony is supposed to grow most of its food, but cannot.  |
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The far side of the canyon affords a view of the whole cluster.
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_21may06-n_0138.jpg On the far side of the canyon, the post-card picture.  |
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_21may06-n_0151.jpg Interesting rocks in the wash.  |
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