Inspired by the tranquil essence of Sarasota Bay, the new wellness facility represents a harmonious fusion of important ideas from Florida’s regional modernism and the natural beauty of its Gulf Coast. The new complex is not just a site for wellness; it is a full-fl edged academic and cultural campus.
Our interest in the Pei buildings lies not only in its unexploited historic potential, but also in its architecture. The robust, almost aloof buildings provide a surprisingly ideal foundation for the new center. The new building mass approximates the plan of the Pei buildings below providing abundant new shaded spaces that previously did not exist. However, the new structures take a different tack from the quiet masonry Pei buildings below. The New terracotta structures above appear to float and are visible from afar, lending to an entirely new vertical skyline juxtaposed to the horizontal Pei structures below. While the spaces below in the Pei buildings are small and intimate, the new spaces above have greater openness and expansiveness for larger gatherings and a variety of private or public campus and community events. The distinctive roofs above create regionally inspired landmark for the New College Campus.
When commissioned in 1963 the Pei Residence Halls were designed as student dorms inspired by Mediterranean villages; three pavilions with interior courts containing small fountains and plantings clustered around a central palm plaza. Like the Pei building below, the new addition becomes part of the village, quilting and stitching vertically the new and old together creating a sense of place as well as a connection between structures that are over a half century apart.
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