franck bohbot captures frank lloyd wright's taliesin west in arizona

‘desert masonry’ sculpts frank lloyd wright’s taliesin west

French photographer Franck Bohbot captures the interplay of light, material, and form at Taliesin West through a cinematic lens. The structure, built in 1937, remains one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most experimental works — a space designed to evolve with its desert surroundings. Located in the foothills of Arizona’s McDowell Mountains, the site was conceived as an evolving laboratory of architectural ideas that is shaped as much by the landscape as by Wright’s pursuit of organic design. Over the years, continual alterations by apprentices have evolved the site, furthering Wright’s experimentations.

This approach, and Wright’s broader exploration of architecture in dialogue with nature, prominently manifests across the buildings’ construction, which utilizes ‘desert masonry’. Local quartzite and sand were used to mirror the hues and textures of the surrounding terrain, while canvas roofs stretch across to filter the intense desert light. Bohbot’s photographs highlight these features, emphasizing the tension between geometry and geology. In one image, the red floors reflect the desert sands, while angular shadows cast by steel beams create dynamic patterns. Another captures the intimate texture of circular red chairs against stone walls, illustrating the fusion of comfort and ruggedness.

all images by Franck Bohbot

franck bohbot captures light and texture

The architect designed Taliesin West as his winter home, studio, and the headquarters of the Taliesin Fellowship, and the space has since continued to inspire as the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Functioning as a site of learning and public engagement, it hosts tours and educational programs year-round to explore Wright’s legacy and the ongoing relevance of his design philosophies

Inside the drafting room, which was once filled with the activity of apprentices, Franck Bohbot isolates poetic moments of light, texture, and form. The music room, where a piano sits beneath a low ceiling of stone, is rendered as a thoughtful study of scale and intimacy. Artifacts like ceramics, drawings, and colored glass spheres, too, appear as subtle reminders of the human presence that continues to animate the space.

Franck Bohbot captures Taliesin West