Caryn Stevens
The native Hoosier and former Chicagoan knew he’d be working on few buildings in the international style of his hero, Mies van der Rohe, when he moved to Naples in 1997. But now he detects a crack in the ubiquitous columns that support the requisite arches that define local buildings, and he predicts there might be some cleaner-lined profiles on the horizon.
Kragh, vice president of Architectural Network Inc. and former president of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Florida Southwest, leaned back in his office on Fifth Avenue South on a recent cloudy Monday to comment on what was, what is and what might be the future of local architecture.
CS: How has the Naples area developed architecturally?
MK: The earliest buildings—aside from the old fishing camps—had to take the climate into account. Tabby mortar construction, like that used to build Palm Cottage in 1895, kept some of the earliest homes cool. Because there was no air-conditioning in those early days, cross ventilation and verandahs were also important.
About the time the modern city began to develop, in the 1950s, the whole country was in the grip of modern style, and Naples reflected that [with] low, clean-lined, boxy buildings that show the influence of the Sarasota School style of architecture. Walter Keller’s building at the corner of Fifth Avenue South and U.S. 41 South, now the Shamrock Bank, is a good example. But there was more diversity back then, including Polynesian style.
Then—and it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment—the Addison Mizner style of Mediterranean architecture that was so well-liked on the east coast began invading the west coast like a virus. As the city gained national attention and greater numbers of prosperous home seekers, the style proliferated. When I moved here in ’97, I couldn’t believe the grasp it had on the area.
CS: Why has Mediterranean style maintained such dominance?
MK: A community’s character is going to be market-driven. When people come to this part of the country, they expect the homes and buildings to look a certain way. The Mediterranean style meets those expectations, and few builders or developers are going to risk disappointing potential clientele by deviating from what those people think Southwest Florida should look like.
CS: Is there any hope of preserving any of the architecture of the past?
MK: At this point, there isn’t much left to preserve. Buildings like Palm Cottage and the former chamber of commerce headquarters south of Fleischmann Boulevard enjoy municipal protection, but the owners of some interesting old structures can’t afford the taxes, can’t get a zoning change and can’t resist the huge offers made by tear-down buyers.
It would be great if an overlay could be put in place in the residential district that might override some current zoning and define design limitations that could work to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood. [Urban planner] Andrés Duany used that tactic to improve Fifth Avenue South.
CS: How did Duany’s plan work?
MK: His advisory trips here from Miami in 1993 and 1994 resulted in remarkable changes.
Among his plans are design standards that require the second and third floors of new buildings to be set back 10 feet from the property line, while the first floor is to be built to the property line. This stepping process creates a gradual effect that keeps the first floor close to the same look as the existing, older one-story structures. The avenue then redeveloped over the years without shocking the scene with new, three-story structures adjacent to old, one-story buildings.
Right now, [Fifth] Avenue is only about two-thirds redeveloped, in part because of lack of parking. The city is currently developing a new parking garage on Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street. Once it’s finished, I predict another boom of redevelopment along [Fifth].
I also foresee a boom of redevelopment in the D Downtown District, which was created by a Heart of Naples Committee to spark new development. The 118-acre district encompasses a grid of city blocks from Fifth Avenue South to Seventh Street North, framed by Goodlette-Frank Road and Eighth Street.
CS: Do you see modern design gaining any ground?
MK: Yes. Duany says he favors a wide range in architecture with no one style dominating. Our own building at 837 Fifth Avenue South, where Chops City Grill restaurant is, shows that a modern building can fit in on the street.
Another good sign is that the slowed market and big inventories have led some developers to think about creating something unique in their architecture. For example, the Trail’s End project, on U.S. 41 South, although currently on hold, had good pre-sales and favorable response to its somewhat modern design.
A few blocks south of Coastland Center on [U.S.] 41, the Urology Building is another good example of modern style; and on Pine Ridge Road, Kraft Construction’s new headquarters east of Livingston Road; and Advanced Medical west of Airport-Pulling Road, are also encouraging indications of a trend away from conventional design.
Of course, Mediterranean style will continue to be the backbone of local architecture, but even that is evolving. Our newer clients who want Mediterranean style are requesting that it be more streamlined and less ornate than in the past.