Historic Architecture

 

Memorial Church Museum

Bristol paper, wood glue, tape, paper cement

10" x 11" x 8"

Inspiration

Lightner Museum

November 10, 2024

The Lightner Museum is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, built in 1888 by Henry Flagler. It opened to the public in 1948 after the hotel was purchased by Otto Lightner to house his collections. The building was initially conceived as a recreational entertainment annex for the grander Hotel Ponce de Leon, but the design was soon revised and expanded to create an independent hotel.

Memorial Presbyterian Church

November 10, 2024

Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine was the first Presbyterian congregation in Florida and was first constructed in 1830. The present Memorial Presbyterian Church was built by Henry Flagler in memory of his daughter, Jennie Flagler Benedict, who died tragically in 1889. He presented the Venetian Renaissance style structure to the First Presbyterian Church. Upon moving into the new building in 1890, the congregation took the name Memorial Presbyterian Church in honor of their benefactor. 

For my design, I took heavy inspiration from both buildings. I used more of the basic layout from the Memorial Church along with other elements from its Venetian Renaissance style design like the smaller circular window, larger dome roof and its taller and more narrow and sharper structure. I combined that with the rectangular pillars and archways from the Lightner Museum. Both buildings share a lot of vertical lines in their designs, so I made sure to translate that into my own. Another way I combined their designs was by giving it an angular roof like the Church, but not have it connect to a complete point on the top, instead having it lay flat like Lightner's roofs.

House Museum

Bristol paper, tape, paper cement

11" x 8.5 x 7.5"

Inspiration

The Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum 

November 10, 2024

This historic site has served the city of St. Augustine since 1598. This site served as the administrative headquarters and residences for colonial governors appointed by Spain, then Britain, and then Spain again. In 1821 when Spain ceded Florida to the U.S., the Government House building was used as a courthouse and briefly as the Capitol building of the new Territory of Florida. 

Lightner Museum

November 10. 2024

The Lightner Museum is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, built in 1888 by Henry Flagler. It opened to the public in 1948 after the hotel was purchased by Otto Lightner to house his collections. The building was initially conceived as a recreational entertainment annex for the grander Hotel Ponce de Leon, but the design was soon revised and expanded to create an independent hotel

For my architecture design I used a lot of elements from the Governor's House, specifically in the basic layout of the building with its long rectangular shape with smaller elements expanding from that. I added an abondance of windows to the front to replicate the designs from both the Lightner Museum and the Governor's House, the Lightner specifically as it was built to act as a hotel so it has a lot of those elements. I also added the outdoor balcony and elevated platform that is seen on the Lightner. There are entryways on every side of the building much like the Governor's House as it makes sense that it would have that in its design given that it used to house and headquarters for government leaders. The Governor's House and the Lightner Museum are very rectangular in their design, so I made a point to translate that to my design, while also keeping the iconic arches from the Lightner throughout. 

Process