Any historic renovation brings a lot of responsibilities and questions.  Do we recreate the original lighting or something that could have been original?  Would that serve the building’s new life?  If we’re creating a new lighting response, do we signal its integration or separation from the historic structure?  In a building that is over half a century old, what should the life of the new lighting installation be?

Oh, and if your client is one of the great architects of the region (Guy Peterson, Office For Architecture), and will host a new architecture school in the building, how will the results be viewed, used and judged over the lifetime of that school?

Such were the questions raised by the restoration and reuse of this historic Sarasota landmark into a Center for Architecture and a home for the University of Florida’s architecture school.

The lighting emphasizes vertical illuminance – display boards, models, lecturers and students all merit lighting to assist communication.  Equipment was selected which had a similar robustness and honest functionality as the original building, but was available through generous sponsorship of donor manufacturers.

The results are a light, airy space that acts as a lantern, drawing the public into the open program while creating focused, intense spaces for classes and students.