Period
1938 – 1959
Florida Southern College: Water Dome
Location
Lakeland, Florida
Notables
National Historic Landmark
HISTORIC LEGACY
The Water Dome was included in Frank Lloyd Wright’s earliest drawings for the master scheme of Florida Southern College. It was intended to serve as the focal point for the campus, but this pivotal feature of the campus was never fully realized.
Frank Lloyd Wright
PROJECT OVERVIEW
In 2007, Florida Southern College turned to MCWB to bring Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1960s design to life, transforming the dedicated space into something that was always meant to be.
RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION
Evidence from the Campus Heritage Plan research phase revealed that the location of the fountain remained a reflecting pool into the 1960s when it was finally filled in and formed into three smaller pools. After studying all of Wright’s original drawings and letters related to the fountain it was discovered that the original basin for the dome still existed beneath later period layers of concrete.
DESIGN
Using Wright’s designs, MCWB added modern equipment, piping and controls unavailable to Wright during his lifetime. This equipment was installed in a newly restored pump house also designed by Wright.
REALIZATION
The Water Dome was completed in October 2007, completing a project imagined by Wright 69 years earlier. Now that the Water Dome operates daily, the importance of this feature to Wright’s scheme is exceedingly obvious. It indeed forms a splendid focal point for the campus and is admired by thousands of students and visitors.
