History of Veterans Memorial Coliseum

New Orleans has the Superdome, Boston has Fenway Park, and Los Angeles has the Rose Bowl. Each of these stadiums is an icon within its respective city. In Phoenix, no stadium is more famous than the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, or simply "The Coliseum."

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in 2009
Photo by: Michael Lundgren

A Phoenix Icon
The Coliseum is an important building in Phoenix's history for its historical significance and its unique architecture. The Arizona State Fair Commission recognized the need for an indoor, multi-purpose building as early as 1962. The intent was to use the enclosed stadium during the State Fair and for concerts and other events throughout the year.

Design and Construction
In 1964, the Commission approved a design from Phoenix architects Lescher and Mahoney. They were the most prominent firm in Arizona and built nearly every significant building in Phoenix today, during their heydey of 1910 to 1975.

Lescher and Mahoney's design for the Coliseum featured a very unique shaped roof. The actual geometric shape is a hyperbolic paraboloid, but to the layperson, it resembles a horse saddle or a Pringles potato chip. The roof is made up of more than 1,000 pre-cast concrete panels, which are supported by high tension steel cables. Each panel weighs over 3,000 pounds!

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Great Bridges of Arizona

Anyone who comes to Arizona will quickly realize that ours is a state of contrasts. We have everything from sand dunes to desert scrub to the rocky Mogollon Rim and the vast, open spaces of northern Arizona.

Our diverse terrain makes for some interesting challenges when trying to build a system of roadways. As engineers overcome these challenges, they do more than just link our cities and towns together, they make some pretty cool bridges, too!

Here are some photos I have taken of great bridges in Arizona:

Burro Creek Bridge

 
The Burro Creek Bridge is a steel arch bridge located on US 93 north of Wickenburg. Built in 1965, it carries southbound traffic about 400 feet above the waters of Burro Creek. A second span was added parallel to the original in 2005.

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15 Historic Hotels in Arizona

When it comes to lodging, Arizona has some pretty unique hotels to choose from. Each of the ones on my list features a rich history that gives them character.

So without further ado, here is my list of 15 historic hotels in Arizona.

15. Hotel St. Michael

Opened in 1901 on the site of the former Hotel Burke (which burned down), the Hotel St. Michael quickly became the cornerstone of "Whiskey Row." The 3-story building was designed by D.W. Miller in the Second Renaissance Revival style.

The hotel has hosted many distinguished visitors including President Theodore Roosevelt, John L. Sullivan, Jake Kilrain, Tom Mix, Zane Grey, and Senator Barry Goldwater.
(Description courtesy of Prescott Historical Society).

Opened: June 1, 1901
Address: 205 W Gurley St, Prescott, AZ 86301
Style: Second Renaissance Revival

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11 Historic Houses in Arizona

"A man's home is his castle" as the old saying goes. A home can also be a local landmark or an icon of a neighborhood in which it is located. 

Here is a list I have compiled of 11 historic houses in the great state of Arizona.

11. Douglas Mansion

The Douglas Mansion is located in Jerome, Arizona. Built in 1916 by James S. Douglas, this 8700 square-foot house features amenities such as electric lighting, polished concrete floors, and a central vacuum system. Today, this house is the headquarters for Jerome State Historic Park. Tours are available.

Year Built: 1916
Address: 100 Douglas Road, Jerome, AZ 86331
Style: Mission Revival

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6 Historic Courthouses in Arizona

While looking through my photo archives, I noticed that I have several pictures of historic courthouse buildings in Arizona. I haven't been to every county courthouse in Arizona, but I thought I would share with you the ones I have so far.

Built in 1928, the Maricopa County Courthouse is located at 125 W. Washington St. in downtown Phoenix. This Spanish Colonial Revival building was built to house both the county court and the city hall. It is still in use today by Maricopa County Superior Court.

Architect: Edward Neild (courthouse and exterior)
Contractor: Edwards, Wildey, and Dixon

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Taliesin West Night Lights Tours

Summer is just around the corner, and that means it's about to get seriously hot. Fortunately, Taliesin West allows you to beat the heat with their Night Lights Tours.

These special tours allow you to experience the wonder of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West school in the cooler hours of the day after the sun has started to go down.

If you've never been before, the Taliesin West school is a pretty unique place to visit. You don't even have to be an architecture geek to enjoy Wright's cool designs and hear about his interesting life. There are just a lot of neat things to look at in general as they take you on a tour of the campus.

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Remembering Paolo Soleri: Visionary Architect

I am very sad to report that notable Italian architect and Arizona resident Paolo Soleri has passed away on Tuesday, April 9th, 2013.

He died of natural causes at the age of 93.

Paolo Soleri was more than just an architect, he was a creative thinker, an artist, a father, a husband, a writer, and so much more. It's a real shame that more people haven't heard of him.

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Taliesin West Kicks Off 2012 Lecture Series

Each year, tens of thousands of visitors come to Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona to learn about the life of Frank Lloyd Wright - arguably the most famous American architect in history. Many of these visitors are surprised to learn that Taliesin West was originally founded as a school, and is still an active campus today!

While enrollment numbers are extremely small, Taliesin West is an active educational institution for students pursuing careers in architecture and design. Every winter, the school hosts a series of lectures featuring professional architects.

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Phoenix FBI Headquarters Close to Completion

Regular readers of this blog may know that I have been keeping an eye on a very large office building under construction in North Phoenix for the past 2 years. Now, the new Phoenix FBI Headquarters is close to completion!

The massive building is close to completion with the windows, signage, flags, and security fence installed. I drive by this location frequently, and decided to take a photo for this post. I pulled over and hopped out of the car to snap a quick photo.

While I had been stopped by the side of the road for less than two minutes, I was quite surprised to see a Phoenix Police officer had pulled up behind me. He was standing next to his vehicle with a blank expression on his face. "What's going on here" he said flatly.

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Grand Canyon University Construction Update

Earlier this year, we wrote about the $60 million dollar renovation underway at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. The project began in 2009 and includes a new dormitory, classroom building, athletic center, and event center.

Now, Grand Canyon is expanding the project even further with a new dining hall and plans for a high-rise classroom building, chapel, and a parking garage!

Work continues on the University's 135,000-square foot Event Center, which was designed by Architekton of Phoenix, Arizona. The massive facility will seat 5,000 people and host a variety of events including basketball and volleyball games, concerts, family shows, conferences, and other arena-style events. It is expected to open later this year.

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Phoenix FBI Headquarters: Construction Update

Here are a couple of updated pictures of the FBI's new headquarters in North Phoenix. Although the outside is coming together, there is still a lot of work to be done on the interior as walls, flooring, and miles of wiring must be run throughout the five-story facility.

A shot of the west side of the building.

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Taliesin West Offers Free Presentations on Architecture

Every winter, Taliesin West hosts a series of lectures featuring prominent professionals in the architecture and design world. This year's series has just two presenters left! If you want to get your architecture fix, here are the details about the remaining lectures:

Diane Reicher Jacobs
Holly Street Studio Architects
Thursday, 04/21/2011 - 7:00PM

Diane Reicher Jacobs of Phoenix's Holly Street Studio Architects is the guest of honor at Thursday's lecture series at Taliesin West. Holly Street Studio is a Phoenix-based architecture firm whose recent projects include the new Exhibition Hall at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, the Maryvale Pool House, and the Helen Drake Senior Center in Downtown Phoenix.

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Ryan Companies Breaks Ground on FBI Headquarters

Earlier this year, we reported on the new FBI headquarters which is scheduled to be built in North Phoenix. Now, progress is underway on the new facility. The general contractor for the project, Ryan Companies, celebrated with a Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 7th, 2010. Heavy earth moving equipment is on site as contractors prepare a level grade so the foundation can be poured.

The total contract for the new Phoenix FBI office is $154.5 million dollars, with $62 million dollars of that total going towards the building's construction. The rest is to cover the 20-year operating contract the FBI has with the building's operator. The building is scheduled to be completed in March of 2012.

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Architect Jeffrey Kovel to Speak at Taliesin West

Taliesin West in North Scottsdale is more than just a hot spot for architectural tourism; it also continues to fulfill its original purpose as a private school for promising young architects. Each semester, the school schedules a series of lectures and presentations for the benefit of the students. Few people know that these lectures are also open to the public, and best of all they are completely free of charge! 

The Spring 2010 lecture series follows the theme "Roots for Radicals" and has featured a variety of local and national architects including John Kane, Mark Ryan, Rick Joy, Alan Maskin, Diane Cheatham, Dickson Despommier, and Jeffrey Inaba. The final presentation for the Spring 2010 lecture series will feature Jeffrey Kovel, a renowned architect and founder of SkyLab Architecture in Portland, Oregon.

Mr. Kovel will give a presentation on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 in the Pavilion Theater. The presentation starts at 7:30pm and guests are encouraged to arrive early as seating is limited. After the presentation, Mr. Kovel will be available to answer questions followed by a brief, informal reception.

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Grand Opening Date Set for Musical Instrument Museum

Music lovers, listen up! Phoenix's newest cultural attraction, the Musical Instrument Museum, has announced its grand opening date of April 24th, 2010.

The grand opening ceremony is a highly-anticipated event that will mark the conclusion of the lengthy 26-month construction process. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will commence at 8:45am on Saturday, April 24th with the first tours to begin immediately afterward.

Wireless headset guides will be available to patrons as they browse the collection of over 3,000 instruments on display in over 350 unique exhibits. The Musical Instrument Museum has the goal of collecting and exhibiting instruments from every country in the world, and they're well on their way to accomplishing that goal. The full collection is estimated to include 12,000 pieces currently.

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North Phoenix Site Selected for New FBI Headquarters

There was an article in the Phoenix Business Journal the other day that caught my attention. It said that the Phoenix division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has chosen a site in North Phoenix to build its new headquarters.

The new building will be constructed on the southeast corner of 7th Street and Deer Valley Road, just east of Deer Valley Airport and across the street from the Lone Cactus Landfill. It's pretty cool to know that this unassuming patch of desert will one day house one of the most high-tech crime-fighting organizations in the State of Arizona.

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Juniper Branch Library At A Glance

Before the Agave Library opened its doors last summer, the Juniper Branch Library was the only place in North Phoenix where bookworms could go to get their literary fix. Juniper is one of 16 branches of the Phoenix Public Library system, all of which are named after native desert plants. What you may not know is that there is much more to the Juniper library than just books!

As a young child, my mother used to take me to the Juniper Branch Library at 19th Avenue and Union Hills Road. Back then the library was a small suite in the northeast corner of the Safeway Plaza where Tutor Time is now located. Then in July of 1996, the Juniper library moved into a brand new building across the street. The new library was fantastic!

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Phoenix's Mountain Bell Building Demolished by Implosion

San Diego developer Joe Pinsonneault has spent the past five years trying to bring the Mountain Bell building to the ground. On Sunday, September 27th, he finally got his wish.

In addition to Mr. Pinsonneault, hundreds of spectators lined up on rooftops and parking garages to watch as the 10-story structure was destroyed in a controlled implosion at 10:04 AM MST. Of course I was there with my camera in hand to document the first major building to be brought down since the Hotel Adams was razed in the 1970s.

When it first opened in 1973, the Mountain Bell building was the first building in Phoenix to be designed in the International style. The architect was Al Beadle, a man whose tremendous influence on Phoenix architecture is only now beginning to gather appreciation.

Mountain Bell was eventually renamed Qwest, who occupied the building through 2003. According to the Arizona Republic, the property was purchased by Pinsonneault in mid-2004. He plans to develop the land into a high rise tower of luxury condos for retired people, which as of yet has no financial backing.

Check out the following articles for more on the history of the Mountain Bell building, Al Beadle, and the future of the 9-acre site:

Arizona Republic 9/26/2009: Phoenix Building Set for Implosion [link no longer available]
Arizona Republic: Developer to tear down building for condo complex [link no longer available]
Phoenix Business Journal: Retirement complex slated to replace noted Beadle building

Historic Arizona Biltmore Celebrates 80th Anniversary

Earlier this month I wrote about Taliesin West, the school of architecture designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright's distinctive style has influenced other buildings in the Phoenix area such as the Arizona Biltmore, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

The Biltmore first opened in 1929 and has remained operational for the past eight decades. Many people often misattribute the design of the Biltmore to Frank Lloyd Wright, but it was in fact designed by Albert Chase McArthur. Wright served as a consultant who oversaw the unique "textile block" construction of the hotel.

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Explore Taliesin West for Free with the Phoenix Culture Pass

You just cannot mention Scottsdale, Arizona without mentioning Frank Lloyd Wright. The Taliesin West school in Scottsdale is a masterpiece of his own design and a landmark attraction of the architecture community. The high cost of ticket prices has always kept me from checking it out for myself, but thanks to the new Culture Pass program I finally got my chance.

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