Rudolph's Cocoon House captured in new video

The exterior in 2017. Photo: Kelvin Dickinson, Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation

Paul Rudolph’s Healy Guest House, known as the ‘cocoon house’ for its unique roof construction, is featured in a new video by the Sarasota Architectural Foundation.

According to the video’s description,

Located on Bayou Louise Lane on Siesta Key, Cocoon House is a two-bedroom, one-bath, 760-square-foot cottage built as a guesthouse for Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Healy. The house gets its name from the technology used to build its roof: a polymer spray that Paul Rudolph saw being used at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on warships returning after WWII in order to "cocoon" or moth-ball them. Rudolph's creativity made him realize that this material could also be used in the construction industry. The Cocoon House was named “Best House Design of the Year” from the AIA in 1949; selected by MoMA New York in 1953 as one of 19 examples of houses built since WWII that were "pioneers of design;” and locally designated as a historic property by the City of Sarasota in 1985.

To watch the two-minute video, click below or follow the link here.

Paul Rudolph celebrated in Architectural Digest

Pool with slatted wood “umbrella” canopy, Rudolph’s Umbrella House. Photo: Anton Grassl

Paul Rudolph’s Centennial and the upcoming SarasotaMOD Weekend in November are featured in the latest online version of Architectural Digest. The article features photos of Rudolph’s Sarasota High School, Healy Guest House and the Umbrella (Hiss) Residence. We couldn’t agree more with the article’s conclusion:

“A century after his birth, Rudolph is finally getting his full due for the residences he designed in Florida.”

— Architectural Digest

Paul Goldberger to deliver keynote at Sarasota's MODweek

Harold Bubil writes in the Herald Tribune, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Goldberger will deliver the keynote address titled “The Rudolph Legacy” at the upcoming Sarasota MOD Weekend architecture festival on November 9-11.

Mr. Goldberger has spoken before at Modulightor about Rudolph’s work, and also in the 1984 documentary “Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph”. He also led a panel discussion about Rudolph at the Rededication of Rudolph Hall at Yale and wrote numerous articles about Rudolph for the New York Times.

Mr. Goldberger will deliver the keynote address at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at Holley Hall in the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. For more information about the upcoming MOD Weekend festival, go to the Sarasota Architectural Foundation’s website here: sarasotaarchitecturalfoundation.org and sarasotamod.com