The Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966 [Paperback]

John Howey (Author), Richard Guy Wilson (Introduction), Michael Sorkin (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 1997

Foreword by Michael Sorkin Introduction by Richard Guy Wilson The years: 1941 to 1966. The place: Sarasota, Florida. The story: a sudden burst of fresh, innovative houses by a group of Americans who caught the imagination of the international architectural community. Inflected by local climate, construction practices, regional culture, and Florida life-style, the work of the Sarasota school of architecture -- founded by Ralph Twitchell and counting Paul Rudolph, Mark Hampton, Victor Lundy, and Gene Leedy among its practitioners -- marks a high point in the development of regional modernism in American architecture.Although the Sarasota school wasn't a consciously organized movement, it was an important chapter in American modernism that, unlike the earlier Bay Area school and Chicago school, has received little study or published scholarly treatment. John Howey, who practices architecture in the region, provides the first solid documentation of the Sarasota group's designs and theories. He has interviewed all of the surviving architects and original clients and has included a rich archive of photographs by Ezra Stoller, Alexandra Georges, and others whose views, particularly of the houses built between 1950 and 1960, gained world-wide exposure when they were first published forty years ago.Howey first investigates the early influences on the Sarasota group, particularly of Frank Lloyd Wright in Florida. He then discusses such pivotal events as the opening of Ralph Twitchell's office in 1936 and the arrival of Paul Rudolph in 1941. Later chapters illustrate the effect of World War II on the Sarasota architects; early postwar successes of Twitchell and Rudolph; the influences of the Bauhaus and International Style; the tendency of various Sarasota architects to create their own design directions; the arrival of Victor Lundy in 1954; the effect of changing economic, social, and political agendas on Sarasota's culture; and the philosophy and results of the Sarasota school.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This excellent book makes a strong case for a renewed appreciation ofregional modernism." Erika Belsey , Art New England

About the Author

John Howey has practiced in the Tampa Bay area since 1965 and is the recipient of numerous design awards and honors. He is design principal with John Howey Associates, Tampa, Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (May 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262581566
• ISBN-13: 978-0262581561
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,532 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOOD Mid-Century Modernism, July 30, 2001

By 

Edward J. Shannon, AIA (Elgin, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966 (Paperback)

This is the story of a group of talented young architects who were in the right place at the right time. The time (1946-66) was when America was in a building boom, the public wanted fresh, clean designs. Sarasota was a growing town and Modern Architecture was going to change the world. The Father of it all was an architect named Ralph Twitchell. In 1940 Twitchell hired a young intern architect named Paul Rudolph. Rudolph would go onto Harvard GSD, serve in the Navy and return to Sarastoa in 1946, and then become Twitchell's partner in 1950. The two of them, with a group of other talented architects (most notably Victor Lundy) would go on to design some extraordinary custom homes, churches and schools. Their architecture stressed the tectonic (the use of new technologies). Although the Sarasota aesthetic was in similar vein to the California post- war architecture, it also was heavily derivative of a Florida vernacular architecture. Rudolph's early philosophy stressed five points: the Clarity of construction; Maximum economy of means; Simple overall volumes penetrating vertically and horizontally; Clear geometry floating above the Florida Landscape; Honesty in details and in structural connections. It is always a treat to see his pen and ink renderings. A must for the serious student of modernism.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Architects who flew too close to the sun, April 11, 2006

By 

Michael S. McGill (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966 (Paperback)

John Howey does an excellent job of connecting the place, the time, and the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and Walter Gropius, to explain the development and evolution of a fine group of architects who practiced in Sarasota beginning in the 1940s, and a few of whom remain even today. While he ends his book on a down note, the book itself and the hard work and dedication of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation have resulted in a revived interest in the work of these architects. Hopefully, efforts to save and restore their surviving masterworks will succeed, despite the forces of McMansionization at work in Sarasota.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SSOA, March 29, 2011

By 

Justin Wortmann "barack loving architect" (Gainesville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966 (Paperback)

What a wonderful book! Definitely well worth the purchase! John Howey was the first to collect the information and compile a book about this important school of thought found in Sarasota, and has managed to collect all of the important biographies and works of these master architects. The photos and information are outstanding in this collection. By collecting these works he really has done an outstanding service to the world of architecture. This movement was so important in bringing these works to light and sharing the outstanding ideas that these architects possess(ed). Carl Abbott said of this movement that it is a fine example of two major philosophies combining: the Bauhaus style (that everything we make is affected by the machine) and the Frank Lloyd Wright school of thought (that everything build comes from the earth and is of the earth), and that in only two places did these schools combine: in LA and in Sarasota. We all are aware of the contributions that Rudolph made to the world of architecture, but this book really sheds some light on the other important architects of the school: specifically the supremely talented architect Victor Lundy- who's work should have been celebrated long before. Anyone interested in architecture should have this book and learn from these masters!