In a location originally designated by Wright as a dense grove of citrus trees, the new facility's form takes inspiration from the natural topography and influence from the immediate architectural context, including several Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures. The project was initially proposed as an addition or “wing” to the existing Roux Library, designed by architect Nils Schweizer in 1965. By designing the Center as a stand-alone structure, a courtyard was developed between the two buildings providing a valuable campus space. The cast-in-place concrete details that characterize the adjacent library were abstracted and integrated into the north and west elevations of the project. These details clearly portray the programmatic relationship shared by the two facilities. The building’s curved form preserves one of Wright’s trademark diagonal vistas from one of the College’s primary entrances to several Wright structures, including the recently restored Water Dome and Annie Pfeiffer Chapel. This view is also framed for occupants of the interior by the south glass façade from the first floor classroom as well as the primary reading, research and exhibit space on the second floor. The ten-foot overhangs reflect those of Wright and Schweizer, fitting appropriately into a campus covered in esplanades and shade-making architecture. Two forty-feet high, cast-in-place concrete walls delaminate the layers of the southwest façade and operate as passive cooling devices shielding the afternoon sun. The ground floor rustication for this new building was accomplished with textile block concrete panels precast by a local master mason and based on Wright’s original molds, borrowed from the College’s collections. This “textile-like” pattern on the panels connects the building’s module and material texture to the nearby Wright structures.

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