ARIZONA | Arcosanti - Utopian Experiment
 

All photos are me

For those of who are unfamiliar with this project please read below.
From Wikipedia
Arcosanti is being built on 25 acres (0.1 km²) of a 4,060 acre (16 km²) land preserve, keeping its inhabitants near the natural countryside. The Arcosanti web site describes how an arcology functions in Arcosanti: "The built and the living interact as organs would in a highly evolved being. Many systems work together, with efficient circulation of people and resources, multi-use buildings, and solar orientation for lighting, heating and cooling." Paolo Soleri is the founding architect of Arcosanti.

The long-term design of Arcosanti has changed somewhat multiple times since work began. The eventual target population is somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000. The current population generally varies between 70 and 160, depending on the number of students and interns working at the time. Existing structures include a four-story visitors' center/cafe/ gift shop, the bronze-casting apse (quarter-dome) carefully situated to admit maximal winter sun and minimal summer sun, a ceramics apse, two large barrel vaults, a ring of apartment residences and storefronts around an outdoor amphitheatre, a community swimming pool, an office complex, and Soleri's suite. A two-bedroom "Sky Suite" occupies the highest point in the complex and is available for overnight guests.

Visitor Center
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A Fan
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The building of arcosanti is partially fnded by the manufacturing of these wind chimes (extremly expensive)

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Domes
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Apartments
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Waterfeature Decending into the Amplitheater
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Living Quarters
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Very cool set. I remember reading about this place thirty years ago. Back then, I thought we'd all be living in places like this and on wagon wheel space stations by now.

Wow, interesting place.

great pictures :tup:

i went there a couple of summers ago it's a really neat place everyone should go if they are in the Phoenix area
I thought about maybe going there for a summer to study the different techniques used to build it and stuff but its kind of expensive and really hot in Arizona
my grandpa went with me and he thought it was a cult the whole time we were there

It looks very dated and ill kept, IMO

I've always wanted to go there, just never have. I can't believe they dont have more people living there than they do.

It's going to be such a SWEEEEEEEET tourist destination in 200 years :D

lol I got that feeling a little bit too. I do feel that there is a lot of hope in getting the total vision built. I think they need Billions of dollars. I don't think they can make it from wind chimes alone

I agree with you. But its still interesting all the same.

I never understood the concept of this complex. What is it that they're trying to do and why isn't it working? I remember watching a documentary on the Nat Geo and they talked about this complex for a couple minutes but I never got what the purpose was? Please explain...

Its supposed to be a high density alternative to sprawling cities. Its futuristic in concept and is meant to be a model development of sustainability. Arcosante is a test of design ideas. Problem is that there is no money for this development. Currently money is raised by the sale of wind chimes made in the complex, tours, retail sales, workshops, solari's other commissions, and from donors.

The real meat of the project, the two huge 40 or 50 story towers and all the functions to support those are in the vision but cannot be built due to funding. Supposevly 5000 people will live there

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Present and Future
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