Toarchitecture lovers, it’s instantly recognizable as the Umbrella House, Paul Rudolph’s 1953 masterpiece.
Sarasota’s cultural gems compete withand even outpacethose in the far glitzier and more touristedPalm BeachandMiami.
More recently, its world-class Modernist architecture has been luring aficionados, too.
From left: Whitney’s, a restaurant in a remodeled 1950s service station; the former studio of Philip Hiss, now a private residence.Rose Marie Cromwell
“The house is such an efficient machine,” she said.
“Its beauty comes from its function.”
Sarasota’s cultural gems compete withand even outpacethose in the far glitzier and more touristed Palm Beach and Miami.
Paul Rudolph’s 1953 Umbrella House, with its distinctive slatted roof.Rose Marie Cromwell
For the next few days, Russell guided me around this high-octane city at a frantic clip.
That California town hosts a week devoted to mid-century design every February.
We started out the next morning in the artsy Rosemary District, near downtown.
From left: Developer Philip Hiss’s studio, built by Edward Seibert in 1953 in Sarasota’s Lido Shores neighborhood; an egret at Ringling Bridge Causeway Park.Rose Marie Cromwell
We could see dancers training inside the glass-walled Sarasota Ballet School.
Architects toiled away in offices set inside an artfully renovated African Methodist church.
“But there’s a lot of money to support culture, too.”
Rae Ramos of the Sarasota Art Museum and Anne-Marie Russell of Architecture Sarasota in front of Paul Rudolph and Ralph Twitchell’s 1948 Revere Quality House.Rose Marie Cromwell
“Our audiences are completely diverse,” he told me.
I was dazzled by Arquitectonica’s 2006 Herald-Tribune Media Group headquarters, on a nearby street.
It has opposing jalousie walls for cross-ventilation and an extremely light footprint that anticipates the tiny-house trend.
St. Paul Lutheran Church, designed by Victor Lundy and built in 1959.Rose Marie Cromwell
The only thing better than visiting Cocoon House would be sleeping there, which is possible through Architecture Sarasota.
“It’s a nice reminder of how little we need to live well.”
“They were on fire and super-alive.”
The Center for Asian Art at the Ringling Museum, designed by Machado Silvetti.Rose Marie Cromwell
First of all, Sarasota had been a cosmopolitan center long before the postwar boom.
“It wasn’t about love of money for that generation, but ideas.”
One poetic result is Lundy’s Butterfly Wing at the Alta Vista Elementary School.
Paul Rudolph’s 1959 addition to Sarasota High School.Rose Marie Cromwell
Rudolph’s spectacular addition to Sarasota High School is another.
But then, like Rudolph, Hiss was a force.
It seemed a bit cold and clinical at the time, but it makes a stunning impression now.
Visitors at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.Rose Marie Cromwell
“Daddy just looked at her and said, ‘But that’s what insurance is for.'”
He studied under Rudolph at Yale, and has spent his career designing buildings that celebrate the landscape.
By the end of my stay, I felt opened up as well.
Anne-Marie Russell, left, and a colleague review documents relating to Philip Hiss at the Overton café.Rose Marie Cromwell
Who had any idea this quiet and pleasant little city could offer so much stimulation?
Live theater was one of the experiences I had missed most during the pandemic.
Asolo Rep’sCamelotwas my first show in a year, and a thrill.
“We want people to come who love Modernism,” she said.
After my marathon weekend, I finally had time to relax back at the Umbrella House.
But I’m a believer.
I landed in the perfect pool with a perfectly ungainly splash.
Sarasota Modern: An urbane 89-room hotel with an inviting pool in the Rosemary District.Doubles from $179.
What to Do
Asolo Repertory Theatre: Updated classics and contemporary work staged in two historic theaters.
The Ringling: A world-class museum built by circus impresario John Ringling in a Venetian-inspired palazzo.
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe: Plays and musical revues that celebrate the Black American experience.
A version of this story first appeared in the November 2021 issue ofTravel + Leisureunder the headlineModern Love.
