Art Deco Architectures in Phoenix - 1:
Luhrs Tower
(Phoenix, Arizona, USA)
I encountered at the skyscrapers of Art Deco in Phoenix.
Art Deco swept over all over the world for ten years after the Paris Universal Exposition held in 1925. In the Unite States, specially in New York, it was adopted to the design of skyscrapers and splendid landmarks appeared.
The current had also reached to a small town in a desert located at 2000 kilometers away from New York.
Phoenix has a population of 1,600,000 just in now. But, in 1930, only 30,000 people within the city and 150,000 people in the metropolitan area lived. Downtown Phoenix has no many high-rise buildings even in the 21st century, so, in those days, the downtown would have a lot of land there and here and a building was not necessary to extend upwards. Nonetheless, three Art Deco high-rise buildings and one small work remains. The reason would not be economic inevitability but commercial value added which was brought by a new design current ?
The first building is the Lurhs Tower introduced in the article of Trost & Trost. Its 14 stories' building was completed in 1929 and reigned over Phoenix as the highest architecture in the city for a half century.
The form which sets back stepwise and the facade which emphasized the verticality are the character of Art Deco skyscraper. Meanwhile, the green ornament on the top and the vermillion tiled roof are a colonial motif related to the Southwest and, therefore, it is also called as Pueblo Deco that Art Deco united with the culture of the Southwest.
In the entrance lobby, a wooden beam of the Colonial style is laid on the ceiling and painted with a complicated pattern as far as I checked over the door. The painting work was likely to be carried out by American Indians and the specific relation with indigenous people is suggested.
Although the height was overtaken by other buildings, the white stucco skin that contained red faintly and the beautiful silhouette is still overwhelming in the skyline of the present Phoenix.
Transportation
Within the walking distance of downtown Phoenix.
Link
City of Phoenix
Visit Phoenix
Accommodations
Aloft Tempe
Arizona Biltmore Hotel
Camelback Inn
Hermosa Inn
Hotel San Carlos
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
Royal Palms Resort and Spa
The Canyon Suites at The Phoenicia
Americas Best Value Inn-Downtown Phoenix
Days Inn Scottsdale Fashion Square
Motel 6
References
"アールデコ展ーきらめくモダンの夢"(天野知香, 読売新聞東京本社,2005)
"The Geo. H.N. Luhrs Family in Phoenix and Arizona 1847-1984" (George H.N. Luhrs. Jr., Jean Stroud Crane, 1988)
"Pueblo Deco" (Calra Breeze, Rizzoli International Publications, 1990)
AZ Central.com
National Resister of Historic Places
Wikipedia
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