Wright's vision for fountain finally flows

More than 1,000 cheer as the famed architect's design for Florida Southern College is fulfilled.

By Associated press
Published October 29, 2007

LAKELAND - The giant water fountain Frank Lloyd Wright designed is no longer the unworkable dud it was for decades.

Thanks to computers and restoration, the Water Dome finally produces the three-story dome of water Wright envisioned 70 years ago as the centerpiece of his architectural design for Florida Southern College's campus.

"He was very far ahead of his time, and sometimes materials are just catching up with him," said New York-based architect Jeff Baker, who heads preservation work at the college where 12 structures make up the largest collection of Wright's works on a single site.

More than 1,000 people cheered the fountain's opening Thursday, when the school celebrated Wright's vision if not his engineering ability.

Construction of the fountain took place between 1941 and 1958, and Wright himself visited the campus during construction. Florida Southern students today attend class in Wright-designed rooms and walk under his covered esplanades. Until now, his Water Dome, though, was a disappointment. Its pool was completed in 1948, and contemporary newspapers said the fountain's opening was imminent. That never happened. Low water pressure, or low funds, may have been the cause.

A $1-million restoration started a year ago. Preservationists visited Wright's archives in Spring Green, Wis., to research early plans and letters between engineers. Paint analysis re-created the original bright aqua of the fountain's basin.

Other features, however, Wright might not recognize: Computers control the water streaming from the 74 nozzles; public water rather than a well fills the basin, which is a few inches shallower because of new building codes. Architects also added underwater lighting.

There's even a modern solution for a problem rumored in Wright's time: that wind blew the water around, drenching students. A wind meter nearby helps adjust the water height if winds get too high.

That feature had been turned off Thursday night, however, so the dome would stay at its maximum, 45-foot height. Mist swept off the fountain, cutting short a performance by a band. Most students didn't seem to mind, however.

[Last modified October 28, 2007, 22:48:37]