The Cosanti Foundation is fortunate to hold an extensive and intact collection of archival materials documenting nearly a century of organizational history and prehistory, from Soleri’s earliest pen-and-ink writings and drawings, to thousands of photos of the construction of Cosanti and Arcosanti, to current digital 3D and virtual models of potential future arcologies, and much more.
You can explore some of our archival materials through the links on this page. You can also arrange to take an in-person tour of The Archives at Arcosanti via special appointment. Requests for access to specific archival materials can be made via email. You can also make a donation to support the archives here.
The galleries below highlight representative materials from the Arcosanti Archives. As we continue to catalog, preserve, and digitize the collection, new materials and discoveries will be added over time.
These representative works offer a glimpse into the Archives’ collection of Paolo Soleri’s original art, drawings, models, and architectural designs. Together, they preserve the creative foundation of Arcosanti and Soleri’s larger vision of arcology.
A rich archive of historic photographs documents Arcosanti’s construction, community life, and evolution over time. As we organize and preserve the collection, these images continue to reveal the people, places, and moments that shaped the site’s history.
Tracing the history of Arcosanti’s ceramic and bronze bell production, from early design concepts to the craftsmanship behind their creation. The growing archive connects the story of the bells to the foundry, the artisans, and the life of the community.
These materials represent part of an extensive film and video collection documenting Arcosanti’s people, architecture, and ideas. Ongoing digitization and cataloging are ensuring these recordings remain accessible for research, education, and future generations.
This collection brings together graphic design by Paolo Soleri alongside posters, event materials, and visual work by designers connected to Arcosanti. Together, these materials document how the site has been represented through exhibitions, workshops, and public programs while preserving its evolving visual identity.
Documenting the translation of Paolo Soleri’s work and Arcosanti into digital forms, this collection explores 3D modeling and immersive VR and AR experiences. It demonstrates how archival drawings and ideas can be reinterpreted through new technologies for research, education, and discovery.
Through collaboration with Second Canvas, we have recreated some of our original sketches and scrolls as super-high-resolution digital images for you to explore in detail.
Second Canvas empowers museums and archival institutions to “experiment with new possibilities for artwork digitized in super high-resolution (SHR), a tool focused on helping museums to build multimedia experiences by combining SHR images with interactive storytelling.”
We have partnered with the Arizona Memory Project to provide a special collection of multimedia archival materials to the public in the context of Arizona’s rich cultural history and heritage.
The Cosanti Foundation wishes to especially thank Ryan Ehrfurth (Digital Project Manager at Arizona Memory Project | Special Maps Collection, Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records) for his assistance in curating and creating this collection.
Additional archival materials are also found in the Paolo Soleri Collection at Arizona State University Library’s Design and the Arts Special Collections, including audiovisual materials, slides, photographs, ephemera, drawings, and newspaper clippings. Many audiovisual materials and slides have been digitized and are available on ASU Library’s digital collections repository, PRISM, at Paolo Soleri Collection.
The Archives Tour is an insightful exploration into the art and ideas of Arcosanti’s founding architect Paolo Soleri. Over the span of his career, Paolo Soleri was prolific in his output as a theorist, an architect, and an artist and the evidence of this industriousness is in the thousands of personal papers, journals, sketchbooks, original drawings, and models he produced. The materials are gathered in the Archives at Arcosanti, where they are catalogued, and preserved in the climate-controlled vault.
These invaluable objects and materials share space with volumes of history of exhibitions around the globe, extraordinary events and conferences here at Arcosanti, as well as of Arcosanti alumni journals and collections. We are also in the process of cataloging/digitizing a massive collection of slides, photos and film.
Times.
By appointment only,
please reach out at
least 1 week prior to
your preferred date.
Tickets.
$45/person
Maximum of 15 participants
The Archives at Arcosanti hold a remarkable record of Paolo Soleri’s work and the evolution of Arcosanti, from early drawings and photographs to models, films, and emerging digital technologies. Your support helps us preserve, catalog, digitize, and share these materials so they remain accessible for generations to come.
News, events, ideas, and updates from Arcosanti.
Let us know which tour and when you would like to visit. We will help you get the tour that you want.
