The only planetarium designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright has reopened to the public after nearly six years of restoration. Located at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, the theater presents shows about space. It had been inactive for more than two decades after its projector stopped working in 2004.
The planetarium is part of the Polk County Science Building. The planetarium was built between 1954 and 1958, and its first show took place in 1960. The college has 13 buildings based on Wright’s designs, making it the world’s largest collection of his buildings at a single location.
The restoration began outside, where workers installed a roof and made repairs to keep water out. They replaced more than 280 specially made tiles along the building’s edges. Inside the 60-seat theater, the team repainted the walls and repaired the dark red floor.
Workers also removed a computer closet that had been added to the room. This allowed them to return all the seats to their original circular arrangement. New sound and projection equipment replaced the old system, which had used eight-track tapes. The theater will regularly offer public shows, including “Cosmic Adventure” and “Destination Mars: The New Frontier.”
