A little over a year ago my mom and I went on a little vacation to Florida to escape the (incredibly) long 2013 winter ( it snowed here in May last year, MAY!). You can see my first post here of our time in the Florida Keys. We also spent time in Disney world/ Universal Studios but i'll probably only ever show bits and pieces of those pics. Anyway the main reason we went to Florida was to go on a tour of Florida Southern College that has some Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings. We also saw some cool Sarasota style mid century ( and one newer) homes, another post with those is coming soon. Anyway here's a look at the Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings from Southern Florida College.
Thad Buckner Building
The first building we went into was the Thad Buckner Building. Originally it was a library and reading room but now it's used as a Florida Southern College's Frank Lloyd Wright visitor center. It's a very cool semi-circular building that has a gift shop and showcases some of the original Frank Lloyd Wright furniture.
Wright was a strong believer in designing buildings that fit the surrounding landscape. So many of his houses in warmer climates use materials that fit their surroundings like sand etc. Some of the housese he built in Califorina, which are also some of my favorites, have a similar look.
Usonian Reproduction
Wright had plans to build his famous Usonian houses around the campus for Professor housing etc. Usonian houses were Wright's idea of the middle class affordable home. None were actually completed on the campus (if I remember correctly) but the plans were left there so the college decided to try and construct a usonian using Frank Lloyd Wrights plans and trying their best (with lots of trial and error) to reconstruct his molds and materials. When I went it was still unfinished, but having looked at the college's website recently it looks as if it's now finished.
There is a Wright designed planetarium in the science building.
A hallway inside the building. Isn't that swan cool? I want one.
You'll see a bunch of photo's of these covered walkways, they're called esplanades and are also Wright designed. I took a bunch of photos of them as they run across a majority of the campus and beacuse...
Their joints form a " Z"! Yes that was exciting for me, don't judge. When you have a name that starts with a not so popular letter you take what you can get. Plus I mean it's pretty cool. In the background you can see a little of a non- Frank Lloyd Wright building on campus. I will admit it was a bit odd to see brick buildings among the very distinctive Wright designed ones.
Those are all the photo's I'll share for this post but be I'll be sure to post the rest of the pictures, which include my favorite building on FSC's campus, in a few days.
Thad Buckner Building
The first building we went into was the Thad Buckner Building. Originally it was a library and reading room but now it's used as a Florida Southern College's Frank Lloyd Wright visitor center. It's a very cool semi-circular building that has a gift shop and showcases some of the original Frank Lloyd Wright furniture.
Wright was a strong believer in designing buildings that fit the surrounding landscape. So many of his houses in warmer climates use materials that fit their surroundings like sand etc. Some of the housese he built in Califorina, which are also some of my favorites, have a similar look.
Usonian Reproduction
Wright had plans to build his famous Usonian houses around the campus for Professor housing etc. Usonian houses were Wright's idea of the middle class affordable home. None were actually completed on the campus (if I remember correctly) but the plans were left there so the college decided to try and construct a usonian using Frank Lloyd Wrights plans and trying their best (with lots of trial and error) to reconstruct his molds and materials. When I went it was still unfinished, but having looked at the college's website recently it looks as if it's now finished.
Lucius Pond Ordway Building
I didn't get a photo of the outside of this building, but I believe it now serves as a theater arts building and is home to Wright's theater in the round. The acoustics in the theater are very impressive and as always it's painted in Wrights favorite Cherokee red.
Polk County Science Building
There is a Wright designed planetarium in the science building.
A hallway inside the building. Isn't that swan cool? I want one.
You'll see a bunch of photo's of these covered walkways, they're called esplanades and are also Wright designed. I took a bunch of photos of them as they run across a majority of the campus and beacuse...
What cool architecture and I love the furniture, too!
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