Never Before Built Frank Lloyd Wright Home Opens at Florida Southern College

October 31, 2013

LAKELAND, Fla., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Architectural history will, once again, be made on the campus of Florida Southern College this Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. with the grand opening of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center and its cultural centerpiece, a newly constructed building by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). 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. Dr. Anne Kerr 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. Construction of the house demanded that virtually every aspect, including the unique "textile" blocks, be hand crafted by experienced artisans. The building uses approximately 2000 interlocking blocks and is adorned with nearly 6000 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.

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