stars return to frank lloyd wright’s only built planetarium after twenty years

a dome full of stars returns to florida southern college

Two rings of curved red seating surround a central projector beneath the domed ceiling of Frank Lloyd Wright‘s only built planetarium, which has reopened at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. After more than two decades without regular star shows, the 1950s building has been restored by a team led by Jeff Baker of MCWB Architects. Its original seating has been returned to Wright’s circular arrangement, and a new digital projection system brings the night sky back overhead. The Miller Planetarium welcomed the public again on September 26th, 2026.

The planetarium occupies the southern end of the Polk Science Building, part of the college‘s collection of thirteen Wright-designed structures. Built between 1954 and 1958, its pale concrete walls are patterned with geometric textile blocks, while a white dome rises above the surrounding low-slung buildings. Wright had explored the idea of designing a planetarium for decades before incorporating one into his plans for Florida Southern. Its first show took place in April 1960, a year after the architect’s death.

restoring the original concrete textile blocks

Work began on the exterior in 2021, addressing years of water damage and deterioration in the building’s concrete surfaces. The team at MCWB replaced sections of roofing and repaired failing stucco, while more than 280 hand-cast textile blocks around the planetarium’s perimeter required replacement. These decorative concrete units form part of the architectural language Wright developed across the Florida Southern campus. To reproduce their geometric patterns, the restoration team used contemporary fabrication methods, including 3D printing to develop molds for new blocks designed to match the originals.

The work also revealed some unexpected details behind the facade. During construction, Baker’s team discovered areas of steel framing and open cavities behind the upper walls, where they had anticipated a more typical arrangement of Wright’s concrete blocks. The discovery made it possible to introduce insulation into portions of the building that had previously been left exposed to Florida’s heat. Elsewhere, the architecture posed a different challenge. Wright’s concrete surfaces often serve several structural functions at once, leaving little concealed space for the mechanical systems needed in a contemporary building.

wright’s curved plywood seating returns to its circular layout

Inside the planetarium, the restoration focused on recovering the original spatial arrangement, which had been altered through decades of repairs and technological additions. A computer closet installed during the 1980s had interrupted the circular seating plan. Its removal allowed the architects to return Wright’s original plywood benches to their intended positions, arranged in two concentric rings around the projection equipment. Local craftspeople repaired the surviving seating, retaining its curved forms and colored vinyl upholstery.

The room’s finishes have also been returned to their earlier appearance. Deep-blue wall paint was replaced with a lighter scheme based on the original design, while damaged plaster was repaired. Underfoot, the floor was refinished in Wright’s familiar Cherokee Red, its glossy surface reflecting the curved benches above. The restoration preserves an unusual arrangement for a planetarium, where visitors sit in the round beneath a complete dome. Many newer facilities use forward-facing theater seating, but Wright’s design brings the audience together around the center of the room.

modern projection technology beneath the historic dome

The final phase introduced a COSM digital projection system and Bowen sound system, updating equipment that had prevented the planetarium from operating since 2004. The building had continued to see occasional use after the old projector stopped functioning, though regular astronomical presentations were suspended. With the new technology installed, the restored room can once again host presentations about the solar system and distant planets, along with programs developed for students and visiting school groups.

The reopening also continues a longer preservation effort across Wright’s Florida Southern campus, which was commissioned by college president Ludd Spivey in 1938. Restoration projects have included the Waterdome fountain and the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, along with the campus’s network of concrete esplanades. At the Miller Planetarium, the latest work returns the building to the educational purpose Wright envisioned. Visitors can now take their seats in the original circular auditorium, with its restored red interior beneath a sky projected across the dome.

project info:

name: Miller Planetarium

original architect: Frank Lloyd Wright | @wrighttaliesin

architect: MCWB Architects | @mcwbarchitects
lead restoration architect: Jeff Baker

location: Florida Southern College | @wright_fsc, @floridasouthern, Lakeland, Florida
original construction: 1954–1958
first planetarium show: April 7th, 1960
public reopening: September 26th, 2026
photography: courtesy Florida Southern College