Mounted onto a Phoenix hillside, the curvy, concrete Norman Lykes Home was Frank Lloyd Wright's final credited design before his passing in 1959. The home, crafted out of a series of concentric circles, exemplifies the architect's late-career work, and demonstrates Wright's mastery of organic design. Similar forms demonstrated in other sites include the New York's Guggenheim and Arizona's David and Gladys Home.
The exterior of the 2,800-square-foot home mimics its craggy desert surroundings, and its form reflects the arches of the nearby mountains. Inside, the floor plan features several intersecting circles and cylinders of varying sizes. Several pieces of original built-in furniture and fixtures nestle in the resulting curves. The five bedrooms, some of which were so tiny they were unlivable, trail to the south and open up to a valley, resulting in expansive views of Palm Canyon.
Homeowners Norman and Aimee Lykes commissioned Wright to design their home in 1959, but after his death, Wright's apprentice, Taliesin architect John Rattenbury, finished the design and went on to oversee construction of the home, completed in 1968. The Lykes resided in the home until they sold it in 1994. After the sale, Rattenbury renovated the home for the new residents, including altering the five bedrooms into three larger rooms, and converting a workshop into a home theater.
Currently up for sale with the original furnishings for $3.6 million, a new resident is invited to experience Wright's very last piece of work.
