Architectural history will, once again, be made on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland this Friday with the grand opening of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center and its cultural centerpiece, a newly constructed building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Known as a "Usonian" house, the home was designed by Wright in 1939, and it is the first time this particular Wright design has ever been built.
Florida Southern's campus contains the world's largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012.
Wright began his work with Florida Southern in 1938, conceiving a master plan for "a college of tomorrow" that came to include 18 structures, 12 of which were built during Wright's life, between 1938 and 1958. The Usonian house will be the 13th Wright structure to join the collection.
The Usonian house will feature reproduction furniture designed by Wright specifically for use in his Usonian homes, as well as a specially commissioned orientation film, "Florida Southern College: Frank Lloyd Wright's American Campus."
The Ruthven Plaza, the GEICO Gift Shop—a faithfully restored Craftsman home—and the Usonian house comprise the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, which will be the first stop for the tens of thousands of guests who visit annually to tour the college's collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.
Photo: Courtesy Florida Southern College
Construction of the house demanded that virtually every aspect, including the unique "textile" blocks, be hand crafted by experienced artisans. The building uses approximately 2,000 interlocking blocks and is adorned with nearly 6,000 hand-inserting colored glass blocks. The home illustrates all of Wright's Usonian ideals: a distinctly American style embodying respect for the natural landscape, economy of size, and the use of locally obtained, native materials for construction.
"It is a singular privilege to be stewards of this paramount piece of American architectural heritage," said Anne Kerr, PhD, President of Florida Southern College. "Frank Lloyd Wright is not only a part of Florida Southern's history, but also a part of America's great history, and the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center is a wonderful tribute to his legacy on our campus and his impact around the world."
The college will also unveil a life-size Frank Lloyd Wright bronze statue sculpted by nationally renowned artists Don Haugen and Teena Stern, as well as a rare Yousuf Karsh portrait of Wright that has been generously donated to be on display in the Usonian house.
Photos courtesy Florida Southern College
Construction photos below courtesy The Maguires of Lakeland (For more: http://www.buildingtheusonianhouse.com)
Related Stories
| Mar 19, 2012
Smith Carter joins forces with Genivar
Smith Carter has a workforce of some 190 employees and designs complex buildings in challenging environments.
| Mar 19, 2012
HKS Selected for Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie
Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachiewill incorporate advanced technology including telemedicine, digital imaging, remote patient monitoring, electronic medical records and computer patient records.
| Mar 19, 2012
Mixed-use project redefines Midtown District in Plantation, Fla.
Stiles Construction is building the residential complex, which is one of Broward County’s first multifamily rental communities designed to achieve LEED certification from the USGBC.
| Mar 16, 2012
Temporary fix to CityCenter's Harmon would cost $2 million, contractor says
By contrast, CityCenter half-owner and developer MGM Resorts International determined last year that the Harmon would collapse in a strong quake and can't be fixed in an economical way. It favors implosion at a cost of $30 million.
| Mar 16, 2012
Work on Oxnard, Calif. shopping center resumes after a three-year hiatus
Stalled since 2009, developers of the Collection at RiverPark decided to restart construction on the outdoor mall.
| Mar 16, 2012
Stego embarks on HPD Pilot Program
Vapor barrier manufacturer strives to provide better green choices to designers and builders.
| Mar 16, 2012
Marvin Windows and Doors accepting entries for fourth-annual myMarvin Architect’s Challenge
Architects in U.S. and abroad offered the chance to showcase their very best work.
| Mar 14, 2012
Hearing to decide fate of unfinished Harmon in Las Vegas under way
The testimony began with CityCenter consulting engineer Chukwuma Ekwueme methodically showing photo after photo of parts of the Harmon, where he and his team had chipped away the concrete pillars and beams to examine the steel reinforcing bars inside.
| Mar 14, 2012
Firestone names 2012 Master Contractor Award Winners
Annual award acknowledges industry’s top roofing professionals.