Cultural sustainability through architectural preservation: A case study of Frank Lloyd Wright's Florida Southern College

Abstract

This paper explores the approach to cultural sustainability through architectural preservation. It analyses Frank Lloyd Wright's design of the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland, Florida in the United States as a case study. This campus contains the largest unified collection of Wright's architecture. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, he designed the master plan as well as 10 individual buildings for this project. These buildings compose the core of the campus, which is located on a hillside facing a lake to the south. The campus serves as a critical exemplar for demonstrating the cohesive interaction between humanity, buildings, and landscapes that is lacking in typical modernism. In addition, this campus demonstrates influences from various Eastern thoughts on Frank Lloyd Wright's design. The preservation of this campus is not only related to the cultural and historical identity of this college, but also acts as a lived site for visitors to reflect on the fundamental meaning of human existence. ...