Structural ingenuity meets visual intrigue in the work of Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish architect, engineer, and artist known for devising edifices and bridges so dynamic they seem ready to take flight. True to that reputation is his latest project, the new Florida Polytechnic University, in Lakeland. Anchoring the campus is the 200,000-square-foot Innovation, Science and Technology Building, a dazzling feat of design wizardry that was unveiled in August after two years of construction. An ethereal pergola of powder-coated aluminum surrounds the elliptical stunner, forming a ring of partially shaded outdoor space while reducing the solar load on the interiors by some 30 percent. More striking still is the roof, which features twin sets of 46 mechanized louvers. These elements can be automatically raised or lowered in response to the movement of the sun, optimizing light in the glass-topped meeting hall below. Reminiscent of flapping wings, the crown is mirrored in the reflecting pool that encircles the building, creating an exquisite moment of symmetry that offers further proof of Calatrava’s powerfully poetic touch.
