Kailynn Bannon
Opinions Editor
The white dome on top of the Polk Science Building has a rich history that many overlook. Next year, students will once again be able to sit back and view the vast universe without leaving campus.
Many current students and local citizens may not be aware that Florida Southern College has a planetarium designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Miller Planetarium, named after Eleanor and John Miller, was built in the 1950s. The structure has since deteriorated over the decades.
The historic landmark closed down over eight years ago for a restoration project. As water leaked through the bricks and cracks formed in the walls, it was time to repair what had weakened while keeping the design as Wright intended.
Fixing a structure that has stood for seven decades is not easy or inexpensive work. This was designed to be a two-phase project: one phase to rebuild the outside and one to update the inside.
Before construction could begin on the interior of the building, the construction team had to restore the exterior and restore the connective tissue of the dome. Due to a damaged outer layer, water would seep through the building every time it rained. The intense Florida weather led to water damage throughout the structure. To ensure that the building was dry, around 280 bricks had to be repaired and replaced.
This process took about a year and finished almost two years ago. When the planetarium remained locked even after the completion of phase one, students were confused as to why they still could not enter the unique landmark.
“I’ve tried to go into the planetarium multiple times throughout my four years here and I’ve never been able to go. I’ve always wondered why because I’ve seen the construction outside of there,” senior Rachel Howard said.
Though it may have seemed like a quiet two years, the planetarium has not been neglected. A group of people have been busy behind the scenes preparing for phase two.
While the school initially received funding for the project, it only covered the exterior work. Once phase one finished, the team searched for new grants.
After a long search, the school received the Save America’s Treasures grant, a special award only provided to national landmark sites. This grant, which covers costs up until next fall, was given to fund the school’s attempts to fully restore the planetarium.
“Now this presents a great opportunity to bring the building back to the way Wright knew it and understood it,” said architect Jeff Baker.
After they found the grant, they had to coordinate with the granting agency, close contracts with the architects and builders, create diagrams and go back and forth with review groups.
“It takes a number of months to go through all of that. All that time was spent behind the scenes where you don’t see anything happening, but everybody’s working,” Vice President of Finance and Administration Terry Dennis said.
The planetarium’s construction began during the peak of COVID-19. Because the entire world shut down, the project had some delays. This dragged out the construction timeline.
Last Monday, phase two began with the first official meeting of the project. The team looked over class schedules to ensure that the construction would not interfere with students’ coursework. They also discussed the time frame of each portion of this phase.
Now that the outside of the dome is dry and sturdy, they can bring their attention to the interior. The original seating, now ripped and damaged, will be replaced with newer chairs. The original chairs used to be in a different spot than where it is now, but Dennis and Baker found no floor plans that show where the seating used to be located. However, The Southern found a photo published in 2001 that shows the seating in a different space. As they rip up the modern flooring, the team expects to see the screw holes exactly where the chairs used to be.
Along with the seating, upgrades made to mechanical and electrical systems will be expensive. Building finishes will be reinstalled, walls will be removed, deteriorated areas will be repaired and textile blocks will be fixed.
“It’s very tedious and tricky work,” Baker said.
The main concern of this project is the disturbance it may cause students and how to avoid those complications. Dennis, the project supervisor, is worried about the heating, venting and air conditioning portion of the restoration.
“The worst part of this is going to be when they have to do the HVAC and the electric because at that point we’re going to have to shut down some things on the south end of [the Polk Science building],” Dennis said.
Once the interior is restored, they will need to repair the machinery that projects the stunning visuals. The team plans to work heavily over the spring and summer to prepare for its opening in September or October 2024.
Despite its updates, Baker stated that this project is more of a restoration than a renovation.
“The goal is to completely restore things to a specific period,” Baker said.
The building will be restored to Wright’s original vision for the structure, with some renovation elements to ensure that the building is updated to follow current safety codes.
“These buildings need to live and breathe and continue to function. So while it is a restoration, certain things need to happen so it can continue to do that,” Baker said.
FSC takes the design of each building seriously and makes sure to stay true to Wright’s composition when making any changes to his buildings.
“Frank Lloyd Wright felt that this campus was his greatest work,” Baker said.
Once construction finishes next year, the possibilities are endless when it comes to how everyone can utilize this historic building.
In the past, FSC would open the planetarium to elementary school kids to watch educational shows exploring the galaxies. They hope to start this back up again when the construction is complete, as well as offering tours of the planetarium through the visitor center.
Additionally, all FSC students will once again have access to the planetarium for both entertainment and educational purposes.
Professors will soon have the ability to integrate this resource into their courses. In the past, there were astronomy classes where the planetarium was used to teach students about the stars. This restoration opens the possibility of bringing that back.
FSC is eager to complete this lengthy restoration and wants everyone to experience the only Wright-designed planetarium in the world.
