For modern architecture such things are important; the buildings are often designed with the natural setting in mind.
But with $1.3 million spent to restore the structure -- which reopens to the public in the next few weeks after being closed for nearly six years because of disrepair -- West is not complaining.
He simply points out the difference to show how the world changes over time, whether you like it or not.
After the high-profile demise of renowned modernist architect Paul Rudolph's Riverview High School building in Sarasota, and the recent discovery that one of West's own buildings could be torn down in favor of a boxy pharmacy, West is happy to say that the sand dunes are the only thing that have changed about the Nokomis pavilion site.
The building has been restored to its original shape nearly 54 years after first opening.
The restoration of West's beach pavilion after decades of neglect is being hailed as a victory in the long-running campaign to preserve prominent buildings from the Sarasota School of Architecture's modernist heyday in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
The key to the pavilion's longevity: It is still a useful space, West said.
"The secret to saving an old building is to make sure its function is still viable," he said.
West's beach pavilion offers a refuge from the sun, a stylized public gathering space and a unique gateway to Casey Key.
A formal ribbon cutting is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.
West was a leading member of the Sarasota School, a highly regarded branch of modernism known for design elements that emphasized shade and air flow in Florida's hot climate and other environmental adaptations.
The Nokomis pavilion was his first public building and his first waterfront effort and it helped launch a successful career for the Yale graduate.
West moved from working as a draftsman under Rudolph, who went on to become one of the most influential architects in the world as dean of the School of Art and Architecture at Yale and a celebrated thinker in mid-century design, to designing Sarasota City Hall and Tuttle Elementary.
West helped put Sarasota on the architecture world's map, said Gene Leedy, a leading member of the Sarasota School who still designs homes in Winter Haven.
"Because of people like Jack West, Sarasota became known all over the world for its architecture," Leedy said. "His buildings are real treasures."
Leedy said his disappointment over Riverview was somewhat placated by the Nokomis Pavilion restoration.
"It's something good that was saved and I'm glad there are some people out there that realize these buildings are an important part of Sarasota's heritage," Leedy said. "They really make that area unique."
Sarasota County received nearly $500,000 in state historical preservation and parks money for the restoration project. The other $800,000 came from the voter-approved 1 percent sales tax for public infrastructure development.
The county has faithfully restored West's structure, bringing the 86-year-old architect on board to supervise the project.
The obstructed views are not the only change, though.
A few concessions were made to the last half-century of changing public tastes.
Showers and locker rooms morphed into a 40-person community room in the main building. Sea turtle-friendly lighting was installed.
"The outside is the same but the inside was reconfigured to meet the community's needs," West said.
Aesthetically, the outside is identical to the original. It consists of two rectangular structures -- one enclosed with walls, one not -- connected by a long covered walkway.
Beige concrete block helps the enclosed structure blend with the sandy beach. The new block is an imitation of the Ocala block used in many Sarasota School buildings.
The horizontal design pulls the building into its surrounding.
Prominent Sarasota modernist architect Guy Peterson described the design as "incredibly pure with floating planes and thin columns.
Big sand dunes have built up on Nokomis Beach since Jack West first designed his sleek, low-slung, modernist pavilion as a gateway to the beach.
"It's a real exercise in simplicity and restraint," Peterson said.
West said the design largely was inspired by the waterfront view, which encouraged his modernist tendency to transfer load-bearing responsibilities from walls to steel support columns and make the entire south wall of the main building glass.
The deceptively simple open pavilion and walkway provide the necessary shade and unobstructed views that unfold like a series of picture frames.
"It's useful, functional and appropriate for the setting," West said.
West lauded the county for sticking closely to his original design.
"The contractors did an excellent job," West said. "They took an unusual amount of pride in their work."
By Zac Anderson www.heraldtribune.com
Published: Monday, August 25, 2008 at 1:00 a.m
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