4,000 sq. ft. of covered area
Arcomart, Storage, Plaza
Status: Completed
To the north of the Vaults is the Lab Building.
The South Vault is attached to East Housing and West
Housing, while the North Vault
borders the East Crescent.
Vaults
lit at night.
A fish eye lens
captures the silt cast panels of the vaults.
Gatherings in the
vaults are a common occurrence.
A detail of a silt
cast shows abstract vegetation patterns.
View from under
a seasonal bloom of wisteria.
Expansive sky juxaposed
with the soaring vaults.
Vaults
The first structure
built on the Arcosanti Mesa, the South Vault provides
a large open work area protected from the summer sun.
Excavation for the footings began in 1971 with the Vault
and adjacent rooms completed in 1972. These rooms now
serve as storage space on the east side and a convenience
store, Arcomart, on the west side. The Vault area serves
as a space for large work projects, performances, celebrations,
large meetings and as a shaded area for outside summer
activities.
The lower portions of the Vault were poured-in-place concrete,
and the 12 upper curved panels were precast on silt and
lifted into place with a crane. They are connected with
weld plates and a concrete beam on the top.
Constructed in 1975, the North Vault is
a twin structure to the South Vault. The construction
is similar with the exception of the steel beam at the
center that replaces the concrete beam used on the South
Vault.
The North and South Vaults are at the heart of Arcosanti
overlooking a scenic arroyo. Six curved, siltcast concrete
panels poured on the ground and put in place using a crane
make up each Vault. The Vaults are a public plaza used
for both work and play. Residents of Arcosanti
and visitors gather informally in the Vaults to take
advantage of the shade.
They are also the site of many special events such as
meals before concerts in the Colly
Soleri Music Center, performances and festivals hosted
by the Cosanti Foundation.
The lawn in front of the Vaults is landscaped featuring
Italian cypress and olive trees. Olives grown on the site
are processed each year by the Arcosanti landscaping staff,
canned locally and are on sale in the Visitors Center
under the brand name Arcosanti Organics.
The top of the South Vault is a popular gathering place
at the end of the day when the Arizona sunset is the main
attraction. From there residents and visitors
can look across the rooftops of West Housing, a series
of residences at Arcosanti, past the Visitors Center
to
the colorful light show beyond. From here its very apparent
that Arcosanti is a working construction site with its
construction yard and delivery areas to the west of the Vaults and
the crane to the east. As you look across the top of
the North Vault the rooftops of
the completed portions of East Crescent,
the site of current construction at Arcosanti, are visible.
The Skysuite, a two bedroom apartment
which can be rented by overnight guests, opens onto the
roof terrace of East Housing where you can see residents
are taking advantage of the sun and breeze to dry their
clothes. In the distance to the East you can see the
now
seasonal pond currently being developed as a permanent
water feature. The top of the Vaults is the place for
a perfect 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside.
