Florida Southern College - Interlachen Yearbook (Lakeland, FL)

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' if) . • ' • A ' ■ - ' ( iM!Mt l llW WW.» l WWJ W »W ' ' - ' l ' !J » ' i ' J i ' ' . ' -— ; I li m ii ' i tf ii ' i i i mmimtmmKmmttmumiiai KKri FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT fl DESIGNS A COLLEGE By DONNA M. STODDARD Director of Art Florida Southern College r REPRINTED FROM JUNE, 1949 IMERIC.VS MOST CELEBRATED ARCHITECT CREATES AN UNPARALLELED CAMPUS GROUPING iiTJ ' I ' ,RV building is out of the ground, into the light; a child -Cv of the sun. These words casually spoken to me by Frank Llovd Wright made an indelible impression upon my mind. Watching the buildings from da to day as they grow makes one understand that these buildings are organic structures, belonging to the very earth on which thev stand. Because of the intimacy between the various materials of the buildings, there is a unity of purpose created in the people who live, work or worship in them. Mr. Wright docs not distinguish be- tween a form that is useful and esthetic. If the design is useful, it is, at the same time, esthetic. Of the nineteen unit foundation designed by Mr. Wright for Florida Southern College, we now ha c completed the theme structure, consisting of the chapel, library, administration building, waterdome, and the three seminars. These buildings are boldly asymmetrical in la out, unified by connecting esplanades. One d ' es not have to be an artist to sec the variety that flourishes through the inherent rhythm of materials and workmanship. Body and mind are in tune with that rliMhm and the variety encourages the spirit. Buildings planned by Mr. Wright are not just another construction job, as can readily be understood by examining the photographs on these pages. Each small part of the wonderfully Integrated whole is a design of unquestionable merit. The whole scheme is given an outdoor garden character, suit- able for Florida. The buildings do not crowd each other and each has its own stretch of esplanade and intervening trees. Because nature has been definitely considered in the planning, Mr. Wright ' s buildings blend with the landscaping. Flowers and plants grow inside of the buildings as well as on the outside. The outdoors comes in and makes itself at home and likewise invites ou to do the same. Many additional structures will be raised in the next few years, among them, buildings devoted to Art, Science, Music, Home Eco- nomics and the Theater. The project is located in a sixty-three-acre orange grove and will occupy the western section of the campus. Buildings are no longer considered as mere walls and a roof, but rather as the space within. That is the re.ilitv of these buildings. The walls are screens, and the roof does not shut out the sun, the moon and the stars. It represents the things to which we must look for enrichment. These buildings are so interesting and alive you never ha e the feeling that you are alone. Mr. Wright has shown us here his theory that architecture is the scientific art of making structures express ideas. A work of art is only a work of art when it lives in some experience. Materials belong to all the world. The artist simply re-issues it and the article becomes new. Materials suggest designs. The terrain itself suggests movement and lines. Mr. Wright does not impose designs upon materials. ' I ' he Annie Pfelffer Chapel is a structure of character, showing Mr. Wright ' s independence of building design. The chapel is not a con- ventional religious form, and it strikes a new clarity, the chord between Florida character and beaut ' and the life of our young people. It has a tall tower that gives an open-to-the-sky feeling. It is filled with flowers that climb the trellises. A combination of the elements and the principles of nature make the chapel a human thing. When the excavation for this building was begun in 1939, Mr. Wright planned to use the ver - sand up-earthed to mould the blocks that were to go into the building. Dr. Ludd M. Spive} ' , President of Florida Southern College, conceived the idea of this unusual chapel in 1937. The com- pleted chapel was dedicated in 1941. When Mr. Wright s.aw the chapel nntmtiiiimi0ftm)f i i • % • %•♦• •♦