The famous F. L. Wright house in Phoenix is threatened with demolition

Phoenix/New York - In Phoenix, Arizona, there is a threat of demolition for a house designed by arguably the most famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The building, constructed in 1952, is among the architect's masterpieces. Wright created it for his son, David. The current owner, a local development company, wants to tear down the building unless a new buyer is found by Thursday, when their demolition permit expires. This was reported today by The New York Times.
  Wright's concrete house is located on a desert lot in the local Arcadia area of Phoenix and offers views of Camelback Mountain. The area was previously known for its citrus groves. The architect raised the house on stilts to provide a view of the orange trees' canopies.
  The design of the building was also inspired by one of Wright's most famous works - the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The architect was working on that project at the time, and the building itself was completed only in 1952. The structure of the house in Phoenix, similar to the museum building, utilizes a spiral. While the spiral ramp in the Guggenheim Museum only offers views inside the building, the spiral ramp in the house for his son surrounds an inner courtyard, providing views of the surrounding landscape.
  According to architectural historian Neil Levin, it is a truly unique structure. "Everything is custom-made. The house is much more than most of Wright's later works, a complete artistic creation," he said. The building features carpets and mahogany paneling that were created by the famous architect himself.
  However, not much was known about the house until attention turned to it due to the impending demolition. David Wright and his wife Gladys did not want their home in a residential area to become a museum. Many architecture experts, including leading Wright scholars, never had the chance to enter, even though the house is located near the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, which cares for the architect's legacy.
  Wright's son died in 1997 at the age of 102, and his wife Gladys passed away in 2008 at the age of 104. Their granddaughters sold the building to a buyer who promised to restore it and live in it. However, that promise was not fulfilled, and the house found itself back on the market. In June of this year, it was purchased by the development company 8081 Meridian, which intends to subdivide the land and build two or more new homes on it.
  Developer representative John Hoffman stated that the city approved the subdivision of the land running through the house, which he claims amounts to a demolition order. However, the demolition itself reportedly requires special permission according to The New York Times. The city issued it but then revoked it. At the time the company purchased the house, Phoenix was processing a request to list Wright's building as a landmark.
  Arizona laws prioritize property rights over the protection of significant buildings. Listing it would only have delayed potential demolition by three years. An unwritten practice in Phoenix also holds that landmark protection requires the owner's consent. Hoffman has already stated that he refuses to give such consent.
  Furthermore, the developer claims that his demolition permit is still valid and will expire on Thursday. According to The New York Times, it is possible that the threat of destroying the building is merely a tactic to increase its price. Advocates for the preservation of Wright's house are frantically trying to secure a buyer who would save the building. The current owner purchased it for $1.8 million and is looking to sell it for $2.2 million. He recently rejected an offer of $2 million from a prospective buyer and Wright architecture enthusiast.
  Whether the house will ultimately be saved could become clear by Thursday. The New York Times noted that both the heirs of the house and the city should have never let the matter escalate this far.