Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings

Frank Lloyd Wright, recognized as one of the premier American architects, visited Lakeland in 1938 at the invitation of Ludd Spivey, who was president of Florida Southern College at the time.

Amid the orange groves that were then near Lake Hollingsworth, Wright envisioned buildings rising "out of the ground, into the light and into the sun."

The collection of buildings, which Wright named Child of the Sun, and the 1 1/2 miles of esplanades connecting them, bear Wright's distinctive use of geometric shapes.

The entire project took 20 years to complete, with Wright visiting occasionally to review the work. It is the largest collection of Wright's work in one location.

The Wright campus recently was placed on the World Monuments Fund's Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world along with other threatened architectural wonders such as The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu and The Taj Mahal. The Florida Southern College campus borders the north side of Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland, between Lake Hollingsworth Drive and McDonald Street.

The Visitor Center has a permanent display of photographs and furniture designed by Wright and drawings depicting Wright's relationship with the college.

The center also displays occasional exhibits on loan from other Wright sites.

Guided tours are available. Call for times and prices. Self-guided walking tours are available daily.

For more information, or to schedule tours, call 863-680-4444.

The Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, now under construction near the intersection of McDonald Street and Johnson Avenue, will serve as a guide to all the Wright buildings on campus. It is due to open later this year. The center reflects the "Usonian" design for one of six never completed buildings Wright envisioned on campus.

The college's website, www.flsouthern.edu, has a section devoted to the Wright collection, including an interactive virtual tour of the buildings. Click on "About FSC" and then on "Child of the Sun Visitor Center."