Lookout Studio
Encyclopedia
Lookout Studio, known also as The Lookout, is a stone building located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
, within Grand Canyon National Park
in Arizona
. It is part of the Grand Canyon Village Historic District, and is part of the Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark
. It currently operates as a gift shop
and observation station for visitors, with telescope
s on its outdoor terrace. Lookout Studio was constructed by the Sante Fe Railway in 1914 and was established as a photography studio to compete with Kolb Studio
. It is one of six buildings at the Grand Canyon that were designed by architect Mary Colter
, along with Bright Angel Lodge
, Hermit's Rest
, Hopi House
, Phantom Ranch
, and Desert View Watchtower
. Lookout Studio employs her signature rustic style of using jagged native rocks to imitate indigenous
structures of the region and to blend in with the environment.
The rubble stone building is at the edge of the canyon. The walls rise to an irregular parapet which incorporates the building's chimneys. Before a roof replacement the roof carried a pile of stones designed to look like they had fallen into ruin. The lookout is on three levels, with a main level housing a shop and enclosed viewing area, a lower viewing platform and a small enclosed observation tower. The wood viga roof structure remains visible, although the structure has undergone other renovations. The lookout is unusually brightly lighted for a Colter building, since its interior receives a great deal of light through its banks of large windows.
, It was incorporated into the National Historic Landmark
group on May 28, 1987. Hopi House
and the Lookout Studio are also major contributing structures in the Grand Canyon Village National Historic Landmark District
.
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, within Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It is part of the Grand Canyon Village Historic District, and is part of the Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark
Mary Jane Colter Buildings
The Mary Jane Colter Buildings are four structures at Grand Canyon National Park designed by Mary Colter:* Hermit's Rest* Desert View Watchtower* Lookout Studio, also known as The Lookout* Hopi House...
. It currently operates as a gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
and observation station for visitors, with telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
s on its outdoor terrace. Lookout Studio was constructed by the Sante Fe Railway in 1914 and was established as a photography studio to compete with Kolb Studio
Kolb Studio
Kolb Studio clings to the edge of Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park. It was the home and photographic studio of pioneers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb. Begun in 1904, the building has evolved through two major additions and countless minor changes during its century of existence at Grand Canyon...
. It is one of six buildings at the Grand Canyon that were designed by architect Mary Colter
Mary Colter
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter was an American architect and designer. As a child, Mary Colter traveled with her family through frontier Minnesota, Colorado and Texas in the years after the American Civil War. After her father died in 1886, Colter attended the California School of Design in San...
, along with Bright Angel Lodge
Bright Angel Lodge
Bright Angel Lodge is a hotel complex at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Designed by architect Mary Jane Colter, the lodge is a complex of cabins around a central lodge building, directly on the edge of the canyon...
, Hermit's Rest
Hermit's Rest
Hermit's Rest is a structure built in 1914 at the western end of Hermit Road at the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. The Hermit Trail, a hiking trail that extends to the Colorado River, begins about ¼ mile beyond the shuttle bus stop at Hermit's Rest. Hermit's Rest also...
, Hopi House
Hopi House
Hopi House is located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, within Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona. Built in 1905 as concessioner facilities at the South Rim were being developed, it is the first of of six buildings at the Grand Canyon that were designed by architect Mary...
, Phantom Ranch
Phantom Ranch
Phantom Ranch is a resort village within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It is located on the north side of the Colorado River near its confluence with Bright Angel Creek and Phantom Creek.-History:...
, and Desert View Watchtower
Desert View Watchtower
Desert View Watchtower, also known as the Indian Watchtower at Desert View, is a -high stone building located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon within Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, United States. The tower is located at Desert View, more than to the east of the main developed area at...
. Lookout Studio employs her signature rustic style of using jagged native rocks to imitate indigenous
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
structures of the region and to blend in with the environment.
The rubble stone building is at the edge of the canyon. The walls rise to an irregular parapet which incorporates the building's chimneys. Before a roof replacement the roof carried a pile of stones designed to look like they had fallen into ruin. The lookout is on three levels, with a main level housing a shop and enclosed viewing area, a lower viewing platform and a small enclosed observation tower. The wood viga roof structure remains visible, although the structure has undergone other renovations. The lookout is unusually brightly lighted for a Colter building, since its interior receives a great deal of light through its banks of large windows.
Historic designation
Lookout Studio is a component of the multi-site Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic LandmarkMary Jane Colter Buildings
The Mary Jane Colter Buildings are four structures at Grand Canyon National Park designed by Mary Colter:* Hermit's Rest* Desert View Watchtower* Lookout Studio, also known as The Lookout* Hopi House...
, It was incorporated into the National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
group on May 28, 1987. Hopi House
Hopi House
Hopi House is located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, within Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona. Built in 1905 as concessioner facilities at the South Rim were being developed, it is the first of of six buildings at the Grand Canyon that were designed by architect Mary...
and the Lookout Studio are also major contributing structures in the Grand Canyon Village National Historic Landmark District
Grand Canyon Village Historic District
Grand Canyon Village Historic District comprises the historic center of Grand Canyon Village, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The district includes numerous landmark park structures, many of which are National Historic Landmarks themselves, or are...
.
External links
- National Park Service historic photos of Lookout Studio
- M.E.J. Colter Buildings, Architecture in the Parks