Hmmm. Somewhere in this picture is the Arizona State Capitol building. Sitting high on a hill overlooking the verdant Salt River Valley, the Arizona State Capitol building is known for its Greco-Roman-Territorial design. People travel from all over the world to see this magnificent building. Dream on. Actually, you can drive right by it and never even notice it. If you look really carefully, you can just see the top of the copper coated dome. This picture is take from in front of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum which is housed in a much more impressive structure than the capitol only about two blocks away. OK some of what I said at first isn't exactly correct, but it is Neoclassical territorial in design.
Asked why Arizona has the ugliest state capitol in the United States, John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Interior Stewart Udall commented, "Because we missed the boat and muffed the ball when we rejected the Oasis Project designed by Frank Lloyd Wright." Wright had designed a fantastic Oasis for Arizona and donated the plans to the State. As set out in a site about Wright,
The plan called for a 400 foot wide area of fountains, gardens, and reflecting pools covered gazebo style by a hexagonal latticework dome of crenellated concrete. An enormous spire similar to that of the First Christian Church would top off the dome. Two hexagonal copper-domed halls, one on each side of the garden oasis, would be the House and Senate chambers. Other wings would house the governor's offices, the Supreme Court, legislatures' offices, and a 250 seat restaurant. The plan for a 212,000 square foot complex had a drawback greater than its estimated 1960 cost of $5 million: It would require moving the capitol from its 1700 W. Washington location to Papago Park. In true Wright style, he had selected a location whose spectacular land formation would compliment the unique design. Instead, the state opted to erect conventional box-like buildings in front of the original 1900 capitol building to house the legislature, and a high rise box behind the capitol building for the governor and executive offices.
Surrounding the present Arizona State Capitol are some of the worst and most run down industrial districts in the entire Salt River Valley. Unless you stand right in front of the capitol building you can hardly see it. Too bad about Wright's design.
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