The dispute over an important Phoenix home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright has been resolved, according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy. On Thursday, Dec. 20, the group announced that it had successfully engineered the sale of the David and Gladys Wright House, saving it from demolition after a long battle.
The house at 5212 E Exeter Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85108 was last listed for $2.515 million. An anonymous benefactor agreed to buy the desert gem and transfer the property to an Arizona not-for-profit organization responsible for the restoration, maintenance and operation of the David and Gladys Wright House.
The home was completed in 1952 for Wright?s son David and his wife, Gladys. What makes this particular property important is that its spiral staircase design foreshadows the breakthrough design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. It is the only one of Wright?s single-family homes that utilizes that circular spiral plan.
The home?s fate was the subject of a huge dispute. Sold in June 2009 for $2.8 million by Wright?s heirs, the home was re-sold in June 2012 to a group of developers, whose plans to demolish the property to develop new housing on the site led to a battle over the building?s landmark status and fate.
Can you imagine if the Darwin Martin House had reached a similar fate? The complex, which consists of three separate spaces and the Greatbatch pavilion, is said to have been built by Wright on an unlimited budget. The Buffalo landmark draws visitors from all over the country and is a truly beautiful space, even in its restoration. For information on tours, please click here.