Moderns That Matter

48 Sands Point Condominium - 1966

“Great example of original Sarasota mid-century modern.”Nomination by Mary Alsup

Architects: Carl Vollmer and Earl Draeger

Garden Designer: Barbara Hansen

100 Sands Point Road, Longboat Key

“Designed and built as a rental property on a barrier island, the building was converted to condominiums in 1976. The property is located between the Gulf of Mexico and a lagoon with different ex- posures to wind, sunlight, salt spray, and hurricanes. A deep sea-grape hedge next to the beach helps control flooding from storm surges and is heavily pruned twice yearly to keep it from blocking sea views.” Smithsonian Gardens,  www.gardens.si.edu 

Image Courtesy: www.zillow.com

50 Plymouth Harbor - 1966

“Plymouth Harbor has been a beacon… The interior pods are amazing, as is the site planning. Having stood the test of time,it continues to be a community that has a design that works as much today, as it did in the 70’s.” Adapted from nomination by Bill Smith

Architects: Frank Folsom Smith and Louis Schneider

700 John Ringling Boulevard, Coon Key

One of Sarasota’s oldest residential towers on a 16-acre site on Coon Key. In the early 1960s, Reverend Dr. John Whitney developed the vision for the retirement community and its innovative communal living. The design of architects Frank Folsom Smith and Louis Schneider includes a series of three-story “neighborhoods” containing 15 to 18 units that share amenities and provide a smaller social network for its residents. Attempting to conserve the properties natural environment, the construction did not require dredging and filling of land and preserved much of the foliage.

Image Courtesy: Architecture Sarasota Archives

52 Sandy Cove Condominiums - 1969

“My father designed this wonderful complex of buildings and our family lived for many years at 33 Sandy Cove Road. I believe “this modern matters” because it introduced a new type of residential lifestyle: clustering houses closely together to preserve large tracts of nature and open space for the collective enjoyment of the community.” Adapted from nomination by Frances Dorrien-Smith

Architect and Developer: Frank Folsom Smith

Associate Architect: James Holliday

22 Sandy Cove Road, Siesta Key

Set back from the road, the 50 units of Sandy Cove are organized into three groupings and a single, five-story tower. According to architect Frank Folsom Smith, “Clustering of houses is an ancient concept done for protection, utility, convenience, security, sociability. I think it’s a great thing. We’re obviously going to have to live more densely if we want to preserve our open space. But I don’t see it as a disagreeable alternative, but rather as an advantage including lower cost and easier maintenance.” Philip Morris, “Sandy Cove Clusters Land, Water, Home,” Southern Living, May, 1971

Image Courtesy: Architecture Sarasota Archives

58 Our House at the Beach - 1981

The property consists of townhouses and two apartment buildings. For the apartment buildings, James Holliday placed each unit on a corner with two balconies that offer views of Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Townhouses, sheltered by low pitched gable roofs, form five clusters that surround an arti- ficial lake. Michael Saunders, who opened her real estate business in 1976, was the exclusive sales agent for the new development.

Architect: James Holliday

Developer: Julian Kossow

1055 Beach Road, Siesta Key

Image Courtesy: www.ourhouseatthebeachsiestakey.com

59A Bayport Beach and Tennis Club - 1980

Seibert and his firm were responsible for many of the condominiums constructed on Longboat Key during the 1980s. For the Bayport Beach and Tennis Club, Seibert arranged one- and two-story buildings into clusters around courtyards, connected by a single common drive.  www.seibertarchitects.com 

Architect: Samuel Holladay, Seibert Architects

619 Bayport Way, Longboat Key

Image Courtesy: Seibert Architects

59B Beachplace Condominiums - 1980

“We live in a working example of great architecture. Open spaces, organic materials, and buildings are located and designed like they were born of the land. It is a mid-century modern-inspired tropical resort with a clubhouse centrally located where people can meet and greet.” Adapted from nomination by Ann Miklas

Architect: Edward “Tim” Seibert

1109 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key

The Beachplace, a prime example of Seibert’s large-scale condominium design, is comprised of eleven six-story buildings organized around a clubhouse and one of the largest pools on Longboat Key.

Image Courtesy: Architecture Sarasota Archives

59C Bay Plaza Condominium - 1983

“The building still maintains its original design elements and employs many features of the Sarasota School of Architecture, such as exterior louvers on the windows to keep the sun out, and windows on both the east and west sides of each unit to allow for natural cross ventilation. The design truly withstands the test of time, with beautiful proportions and a stunning juxtaposition between the curved eastern facade and the angular western facade. This structure is as fresh and modern as it was 40 years ago.” Nomination by Jane Knapp

Architect: Edward “Tim” Seibert

1255 North Gulfstream Avenue, Sarasota

Image Courtesy: Seibert Architects

71 Sarabande Condominium - 1998

“It [Sarabande] is distinctive in design and appearance among Sarasota Bayfront condo buildings.” Nomination by Hobart Swan & Janis Swan

Developer: Tangerine Development Company

340 South Palm Avenue, Sarasota

In contrast to the modernist architectural tradition of the Sarasota School of Architecture, the Sarabande Condominium tower is designed in a Postmodern style. The building combines traditional elements like standing seam metals roofs and decorative railings with multistory glass curtain walls and open plan units that offer views of Sarasota Bay and downtown.

Image Courtesy: www.corcoran.com

67 Artist’s Residence and Studio - 2001

“In concept the project is a Village Compound – made up of three independent living units. The large courtyard, with its tall umbrella of trees, is the Great Room. The living units grow out of the masonry wing-walls…Standard materials are used throughout - raw concrete block, concrete slabs, glass - the basic materials of the Sarasota School of Architecture.” Adapted from nomination by Carl Abbott

Architect: Carl Abbott

2327 Bispham Road, Sarasota

Image Courtesy: Carl Abbott, In/Formed by Land (2013)