LIFE

Copy of famous architect's creation under construction

TAMMY AYER
TAYER@NEWS-PRESS.COM

A petite architectural masterpiece is under construction on a ranch outside Sarasota.

The Walker Guest House on Sanibel, created by architect Paul Rudolph. He designed the home with large wooden panels, controlled by counterweights that look like red cannonballs, which could be lowered over screened windows to seal the home or open it up to welcome Gulf breezes.

It's not the real Walker Guest House — that 1952 structure designed by Paul Rudolph stands on Sanibel — but fans of the famed architect who began his career in Southwest Florida are tracking the replica's progress.

The to-scale copy of the 24-foot-square guest house will debut during SarasotaMOD Weekend 2015, set for Nov. 6-8. The event celebrates the city's role as epicenter of the Sarasota School of architecture, Southwest Florida's regionally inspired American modernism.

"Construction began a few weeks ago. It's being constructed ... on a ranch in Manatee County," said Dan Snyder, board member of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation.

"We've raised about $175,000; the goal is $200,000."

Once the structure is completed, builders will disassemble and transport it to The Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota. That will be a practice run for future plans to take the replica on tour.

Fort Myers architect Joyce Owens and Elaine Walker, owner of the Walker Guest House.

They'll also reproduce the Walker Guest House furniture — some of which Rudolph designed — and accessorize the replica with circa-1952 effects such as period magazines, books and even food containers for an immersive experience.

It opens to the public as the star of the show during SarasotaMOD Weekend 2015.

All about Rudolph

That weekend is all about Rudolph, who began his career in Sarasota. Owners of his famed Umbrella House in Lido Shores continue its restoration, and original Rudolph drawings, housed at the Library on Congress, will be on display.

Rudolph's Brutalist creations became increasingly more complicated in later years, a far cry from the Sanibel design commissioned by Dr. Walter W. Walker.

Among all his structures around the globe, Rudolph considered this tiny house a favorite, saying, "It crouches like a spider in the sand."

The living room of the Walker Guest House on Sanibel.

He designed a beach house at its barest elements, a modern interpretation of a cabin in the woods, with a living/dining area that takes up half the space. The other half features a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.

It took honors in 2012 as Florida's top residential building in voting in the Top 100 Buildings Competition: 100 Years. 100 Places.

In addition to being voted the top residential building, the Walker Guest House was ranked number three overall by architects. More than 2.4 million votes were cast in competition held by the the Florida Chapter of The American Institute of Architects.

The Cannonball House, as some locals call it, remains in private hands, hosting family and friends of Walker's widow, Elaine Walker.

Award-winning architecture critic and Miami Herald columnist Alastair Gordon, an author who has written for many publications, visited Sanibel in late March to see the Walker Guest House and chat with Walker.

Fort Myers architect Joyce Owens joined Gordon and Sarasota Architectural Foundation officials for the visit. A fan and promoter of Rudolph's work and the Walker Guest House, she said she's honored to be a part of the foundation's efforts to replicate the house and share it with the world.

"The aim of this re-creation is not only to look back and admire this elegant beach house," she said, "but also to take the opportunity to define what good design means in Florida — in order to build more effectively and appropriately for the future."

Dr. Walt Walker and Elaine Walker in a photo taken shortly before his death in 2001.

SAVE THE DATE

» What: SarasotaMOD Weekend 2015, a celebration of Sarasota's iconic mid-20th-century architecture. Second annual event includes tours, parties and lectures. Sponsored by the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, it highlights prominent mid-century modern architects, interior designers, authors, historians and critics.

» When: Nov. 6-8

» More information: Tickets go on sale in August. Visit sarasotamod.com