At the Oasis

The Painted Desert Community Complex at Petrified Forest reflects the International Style through strong lines, flat roofs, smooth unadorned walls, and asymmetrical facades. In the United States, Richard Neutra was a leading architect of this style, and the National Park Service hired him and Robert Alexander to design its new headquarters complex at Petrified Forest. Construction began in 1961, and the main building was dedicated in October 1963. Neutra created a modernist twist on the traditional southwestern pueblo, combining business and residential life in low buildings arranged around a central plaza, with large windows for Arizona sunlight and high walls to block wind. The complex stands as a unique example of mid-century architecture unlike anything else in use in the National Park System.

Arizona · United States