On Saturday, May 23, students, teachers, and admirers of Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida, plan to spend the day meandering among its rooms and hallways, paying their final respects to the Paul Rudolph–designed building. The gathering was prompted by a May 5 decision by the Sarasota County School Board to approve funds to demolish the structure, which will take place some time during summer break.
The decision and pending teardown culminates a years-long debate over the merits of the Rudolph building and the likelihood of its rescue. When it was completed in 1958, Riverview High School was hailed in the design and mainstream press as a paragon of regionally specific, modern architectural principles and progressive educational space. Yet school officials subsequently handled the advent of air-conditioning, as well as maintenance, clumsily—some would say maliciously—and tacked upgrades onto the building with little sensitivity to Rudolph’s design. A visit last December revealed dark hallways that were once open to daylight and breezes; only shading devices edging the U-shaped entry courtyard appeared unchanged.
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