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Lookout Studio, known also as The Lookout, is a stone building located on the South Rim of the 
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.
National Park Service historic photos of Lookout Studio
''Architecture in the Parks'' {{NRHP in Arizona by county Buildings and structures in Grand Canyon National Park Mary Colter buildings Grand Canyon Rustic architecture in Arizona American Craftsman architecture in Arizona Arts and Crafts architecture in the United States Pueblo Revival architecture in Arizona Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona National Historic Landmarks in Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona Buildings and structures completed in 1914 1914 establishments in Arizona
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile ().
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...
, within Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyo ...
in Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
. 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
A gift shop or souvenir shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs, memorabilia, and other items relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, toys, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collection ...
and observation station for visitors, with telescope
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, Absorption (electromagnetic radiation), absorption, or Reflection (physics), reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally, it was an optical instrument using len ...
s on its outdoor terrace. Lookout Studio was constructed by the Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the largest Railroad classes, Class 1 railroads in the United States between 1859 and 1996.
The Santa Fe was a pioneer in intermodal freight tra ...
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
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter (April 4, 1869 – January 8, 1958) was an American architect and designer. She was one of the very few female American architects in her day. She was the designer of many landmark buildings and spaces for the Fred Har ...
, 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.
Historic designation
Lookout Studio is a component of the multi-site Mary Jane Colter Buildings National Historic Landmark, It was incorporated into theNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
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.
References
External links
National Park Service historic photos of Lookout Studio
''Architecture in the Parks'' {{NRHP in Arizona by county Buildings and structures in Grand Canyon National Park Mary Colter buildings Grand Canyon Rustic architecture in Arizona American Craftsman architecture in Arizona Arts and Crafts architecture in the United States Pueblo Revival architecture in Arizona Park buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Coconino County, Arizona National Historic Landmarks in Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona Buildings and structures completed in 1914 1914 establishments in Arizona