By Canadian Press

Wright-designed home sold for nearly $1.7M

Oct 18, 2019 | 3:54 PM

PHOENIX — An Arizona house that was the last home architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed before his death sold Wednesday for nearly $1.7 million.

Out of nearly 20 bids at a public auction for the Norman Lykes House, the winning bid came from a man who lives out of state, Heritage Auctions told The Associated Press.

He did not wish to be identified but said that he plans to keep the home intact and use it as a vacation home, spokesman Eric Bradley said.

Nicknamed the “Circular Sun House,” the Phoenix property has been on and off the market over the last few years.

Wright designed the home before his death in April 1959 at age 91. It was commissioned by Norman and Aimee Lykes and last renovated in 1994.

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The 3,095-square-foot (288-square-meter) property in the city’s Biltmore neighbourhood has three bedrooms, three baths and is nestled on the edge of a mountain preserve. The buyer also gets all the original mid-century modern furnishings.

Officials with the auction house say they were looking for a bidder who would invest in maintaining the integrity of the home.

Wright’s influence can be seen across Phoenix. The lauded architect had a hand in designing the Arizona Biltmore resort, just a few miles from the Lykes House.

He is mostly known in the Southwest for creating his winter home and architecture school, Taliesin West, in 1937 in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale. Taliesin West remains popular with guided tours and presentations. It was one of eight Wright buildings added to UNESCO World Heritage list in July.

Another Phoenix home Wright designed for his son and daughter-in-law remains on the market. Constructed in 1952, the David and Gladys Wright House is currently listed at nearly $10 million. The owner of the spiral-shaped house had wanted to turn it into a museum and event space. But neighbours in the upscale Arcadia neighbourhood complained about possible traffic.

Terry Tang, The Associated Press