A Taste of the Wright Stuff

As a Floridian who has an interest in historic architecture, I'm embarrassed to say that until recently, I'd never seen the amazing collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Mrs. Ephemera and I stopped by for a brief visit on a cloudy afternoon for what I hope will be a prelude to a longer, extended visit when the weather is better. Even on a gloomy day I could see how spectacular these spaces were and how much they need attention.

The story goes that after a trip to Europe, Florida Southern President Dr. Ludd Spivey was inspired to build a campus in the orange groves of Lakeland and he sought out Frank Lloyd Wright at Tallesin. Upon visiting the site at age 67, the master architect famously said that the buildings on the campus would rise "out of the ground, and into the light, a child of the sun." They broke ground on the first building, the Annie Pfieffer Chapel in 1938 and completed the last building, the Polk County Science Building in 1958. Today Florida Southern College is the largest collection of Wright designed buildings located on a single site, anywhere in the world.

Top: Frank Lloyd Wright on the Florida Southern Campus. Bottom: Wright and associate Nils Schweizer, who later opened an architecture practice in Central Florida. State Archives of Florida

On the day we were exploring the campus, we were fortunate enough to gain entry into the Pfeiffer Chapel, as I was told you couldn't properly appreciate the buildings without seeing them from the inside. Built with student labor, "Wright used colored pieces of glass to break the monotony of the blocks allowing natural light to enter," according to the college's website. Considered to be an excellent example of Wright's work, the space is expansive and intimate at the same time. The geometric details are fascinating, but it is the light coming through the colored glass block that is the most remarkable, turning any wall into a work of art.

Wright's work is notorious for being difficult to maintain, perhaps because his vision exceeded the engineering expertise of the time. And being exposed to the sub-tropical elements of Central Florida hasn't helped and it is apparent, even in our brief tour, that many of the buildings need considerable renovation. Fortunately work is underway, and the architecture, once named to the World Monument Fund's Most Endangered list, is slowly being restored. I look forward to more extensive explorations of the campus, when more of the buildings' original luster have been renewed and the sun is shining on Frank Lloyd Wright's "Child of the Sun.

Polk Theatre and the Florida Dance Theatre

When I was offered free tickets to see the Florida Dance Theatre perform their Innovations show, I jumped at the opportunity, not only to see the performance but also to get to see the Polk Theatre. Built in 1928, the theatre designed by J.E. Casale is one of three of this style in the state, the Tampa Theatre and the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville being the other two. The theatre is described as a re-creation of a Mediterranean village "flanked by Italianate walls with niches, sconces, and faux balconies and windows" with a the "full scale Italian renaissance 'townhouse' setting that dominates the Polk’s interior."

Polk Theatre interior shots ©2009 Kilby Photo

According to the theatre's website, the Polk originally showcased both live vaudeville acts and films. "There was a stage trap door that was particularly useful for magic acts. Enticing locals with the “Hollywood Scandals” were the McCord Dancers, the Sun-Tan Revue, and The Green Pastures. The Chinese Houdini, Li Ho Chang, also performed live on stage, and of particular note was Sally Rand with her famous fan dance. Other notables to perform through the years include, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Gene Krupa, Eddy Arnold, Tom Mix, Gene Autrey, Glenn Miller and the king himself, Elvis Presley in 1956."

The theatre was restored in 1999 but as is the case with any old building, it needs constant maintenance and repairs.



I was much impressed by the building's decor, it reminded me very much of the Kimo Theatre in Albuquerque. However I was completely blown away by the performance of the Florida Dance Theatre. My brother does the photography for the Lakeland-based dance company, or otherwise I would have never heard of the group. I'm really not much of fan of dance I must admit, but if all dancing were like Innovations, that would be different. The show was more like Cirque du Soleil than Swan Lake, with the show broken down to short vignettes with multiple costume changes and a great deal of unpredictability. The movements were amazing, and to my untrained eye it appeared as if they were pushing the limits of the dance medium. I was entranced throughout the entire program. Sadly the attendance was pretty small, as Lakeland is not a huge market for this type of event. It was disappointing because the entire performance was amazing, creative and skillfully executed and the seeing the theatre alone was worth the drive over from Orlando.