Wright-designed fountain finally gushes 70 years later

LAKELAND, Fla. - The giant water fountain Frank Lloyd Wright designed here is no longer the unworkable dud it was for decades.

Thanks to computers and extensive restoration, the Water Dome finally produces the threestory dome of water Wright envisioned 70 years ago as the centerpiece of his architectural design for Florida Southern College's campus.

"He was very far ahead of his time, and sometimes materials are just catching up with him," said New York-based architect Jeff Baker, who heads preservation work at the college where 12 structures make up the largest collection of Wright's works on a single site.

More than 1,000 people cheered the fountain's opening Thursday, when the school celebrated Wright's vision if not his engineering ability. Spectators ringed the fountain more than 10 deep in places, and some had black and white pictures taken with a cutout of Wright.

Construction of the fountain took place between 1941 and 1958, and Wright visited the campus during construction. Florida Southern students today attend class in Wright-designed rooms and walk under his covered esplanades. The school, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, also holds services in the architect's two chapels.

Until now, his Water Dome was a disappointment. Its poolwas completed in 1948, and contemporary newspapers said the fountain's opening was imminent. That never happened. Low water pressure or low funds may have been the cause. In the late 1960s, the school covered much of the pool with cement, creating three smaller ponds.

A $1 million restoration started a year ago. Preservationists visited Wright's archives in Spring Green, Wis., to research early plans and letters between engineers. Paint analysis recreated the original bright aqua of the fountain's basin, and a Wright-designed pump house was reclaimed.

Other features, however, Wright might not recognize: Computers control the water streaming from the 74 nozzles; public water rather than a well fills the basin, which is a few inches shallower because of new building codes. Architects alsoadded underwater lighting.

There's even a modern solution for a problem rumored in Wright's time: that wind blew the water around, drenching students. A wind meter on top of a nearby building can now help adjust the water height if winds get too high.

That feature had been turned off Thursday night, however, so the dome would stay at its maximum, 45-foot height. And mist swept off the fountain, cutting short a performance by a band under its path. Most students didn't seem to mind, however, taking pictures with cameras before heading to the library or dorms.

Freshman Shannon Ryan, 18, rode a Ferris wheel the school had set up for an overhead view. How would Wright feel about finally seeing his fountain on? Ryan thought she knew: "Um, hello, it took you long enough."