*December 2010 photos by Mary McNally & © Mary McNally

S.257 – Esplanades, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, Florida

Photographed in 1995 and February 2010. As is well known, the college campus is the largest collection of FLW buildings anywhere. Click here for a page about the general characteristics of the buildings.

One and a half miles of covered walkways – called Esplanades – connect the various Wright-designed buildings on campus. They were built from 1941 to 1958, being extended as additional FLW buildings were added. One of the state’s non-natural materials – copper – lines the edges of most of the esplanades. The walkways are supported by columns that replicate the shape of the orange groves that once dotted the campus. They employ cantilever construction, so the columns are to the side of the structures.

Florida weather is not kind to any structures, and the Esplanades were already showing their age in my 1995 photos. The State of Florida provided a $1.6 million restoration grant, which wrapped up around 2008.

1995 photos

Peeking out from the Polk County Science building - 1995

2 pre-renovation esplanades between the Polk Science building and the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel; note the deterioration near the center of the first photo.

This esplanade – which had added straight columns to bear the weight – was restored to their original cantilevered configuration. See photos below ▼

February 2010 photos