The juxtaposition is dramatic enough to stop I-4 traffic: Just past the Lakeland exits is a very large, very white, and very contemporary building alone in a field.
Internationally acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava has designed a stunning 162,000-square-foot structure to house Florida Polytechnical University (FPU). It’s a little like the Vatican: strong on aesthetics, but built on questionable politics.
USF President Dr. Judy Genshaft hatched the ambition for Calatrava to design the signature structure for what would have been USF’s Lakeland Polytechnic campus. Traditionally, Florida university buildings are not designed by world-class architects, so the selection was a stretch.
By commissioning an iconic structure by a “name” architectural superstar, FPU was set up for visibility. The wheels were already in motion for funding this ambitious project when former State Senate Chair J.D. Alexander made the power grab of the decade.
In the spirit of Johnnie Byrd, another infamous state pol who hijacked a state-funded project to prove his power position (the Alzheimer’s Center at USF), Alexander decided that he would snatch the Lakeland USF campus and create a 13th public Florida university.
Mike Fasano, the outspoken former State Senator, criticized this underhanded action. “There was no need for another state university. USF is accredited and respected. FPU is not accredited. J.D.Alexander lavished hundreds of millions of tax dollars on his pet project.”
Fasano attributes this bad decision to Seth McKeel, Will Weatherford and other influential legislators who supported Alexander’s move in hopes that he wouldn’t go after their pet projects, and that Governor Scott would veto the proposal. Despite busloads of USF students traveling to Tallahassee and Tampa Bay leaders speaking out, the Legislature folded, and now FPU exists, requiring financial care and feeding forever.
The good news is that FPU’s main building is splendid. Seemingly floating on a shimmering lake — actually a series of water retention ponds — the structure resembles a symmetrical protozoa… delicate, crystalline and ingeniously complex. The oval structure is mostly transparent, wih a concrete exoskeleton gracefully arching over the classrooms, library and offices.
Wing-like latticed louvers move gently throughout the day to track the sun and provide shade to the glass-sheathed structure. When you understand that the 250-foot-long skylight shading system directs the 94 louvers, you begin to understand the complexity and sophistication of Calatrava’s design. White concrete ribs establish a clear structural rhythm, and the exterior of the building is ringed by pergolas — all fresh images for Florida.
“My first aim is to make an inspirational environment for the students, the professors and everyone working here. I want them to feel that the day, the building and the world are full of opportunities,” explained Calatrava.
Everyone entering this building is lifted by its sense of physical freedom and intellectual rigor. The building challenges its occupants to live up to its standards of careful design and construction, which is a perfect setting for students studying science, technology, engineering and math.
Natural light animates the two-story structure, which houses 26 classrooms and 11 innovation labs filled with the latest tech toys. The whole building is wired within an inch of its life, and the Rapid Application Development Lab has 55 3-D printers and digital object scanners. It’s a true playground for techie research and experimentation, including courses of study in cloud virtualization, cyber gamimg and nanotechnology.
Currently, Calatrava is known for his 100-percent-over-budget Ground Zero transportation hub in New York City, but FPU was brought in on budget, at less than $50 million for an architectural wonder. Chuck Jablon, Skanska’s director of operations and project leader, credits the teamwork and craftsmanship of the subcontractors and the high level of cooperation between designers and builders for this feat.
“Many participants in this project have worked together for 20-30 years… We teamed up for the restoration of Kiley Garden and the Tampa Museum of Art’s construction. This campus has been our biggest challenge and accomplishment.”
The students and faculty moving through the sunlit corridors appear to enjoy their inspired environment, and there is a sense of openness in the building which affects the general mood on campus. A few poor furniture choices and a wretchedly mediocre dorm are the only sour notes in an otherwise harmonious, if isolated, setting.
Although there are no formally scheduled tours, anyone is free to wander through the FPU building and experience this extraordinary setting. It’s well worth the drive — your jaw will drop and your heart will be gladdened by the grace of place.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2014.