Florida Polytechnic University by Rex R . Thomas
architecture
photo by Joel Morales
It looks like the sunbleached exoskeleton of a giant space bug crouching by the side of I-4 . USF Polytechnic ’ s fi rst building is a singularity , designed by Spanish artist-architect Santiago Calatrava . Famous for his heroic , lacy bridges and public structures throughout the world , Calatrava ’ s signature style is somehow fi tting for Florida ’ s sunshine and the great , open plain in which the Innovation , Science , and Technology building sits .
The school includes classroom , laboratory , and library space for Florida ’ s newest university . It was born to educate students in applied engineering — a sort of hybrid between a technical college and a research institution . Surrounded by a moat , the fi rst impression is that of an ancient thing rediscovered . The white latticework ring provides pleasant , shaded outdoor seating that wraps the exterior in a kind of inside-out version of well-known college campus spaces like University of Virginia ’ s iconic lawn .
Smooth , curved plaster stairwells at the two ends lead one from a polished concrete ground fl oor up into a student commons lined with classrooms and faculty offi ces . Florida ’ s fi erce sunlight is tamed by the feathery roof structure rising over a spacious , maple-fl oored open area , fi lling it with smooth , even light , giving students a beautiful , ethereal study hall and gathering space .
Interior materials are simple : plaster , concrete , and wood . Useful innovations such as magnetic glass ( discouraging messy scotch tape ) line faculty offi ces . Deep in the beast ’ s heart , a supercomputer lurks ,
Orlando Arts & Culture , v . 2.3 humming and blinking , revealing that it ’ s not an ancient thing at all . By giving the light-fi lled upper loft space back to people , Calatrava ’ s school building sets a tone of future hope for humanity that seems lost in today ’ s cold , institutional architecture seen on many other college campuses . One hopes that the other buildings to follow here will maintain this same tone .
Typical of Calatrava , the building has moving parts : the roof is supposed to open like eyelids to modulate the sun ’ s rays . Its hydraulic mechanism seems simple , but alas , it has become stuck . Buildings aren ’ t supposed to move around , generally speaking , and breaking this rule is Calatrava ’ s great delight , but also an Achilles heel that dooms the maintenance staff to futile tinkering .
Polk County draws unusual architecture like a strange magnet . Bok Tower ; the Florida Southern College campus of Frank Lloyd Wright ; the signature Gene Leedy double-tee houses — all nestled into our state ’ s jungled center like visionary experiments scraped out of the primeval forest . Calatrava ’ s bold design adds a touch of world futurism to the mix . This space bug is of the state ’ s best examples of new design , and winner of the 2015 International Architecture Award . If more educational spaces were this good , more students might be inspired to go to college . As it is , the building is a learning tool in itself , uplifting the spirit .
You can see more at : FloridaPolytechnic . org
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