SARASOTA, FL – The Member’s only advance sale period has ended, and ALL MOD tickets are now on sale. The 2021 MOD honors Philip Hanson Hiss, the primary catalyst of the modern architecture movement in Sarasota. The three-day event will celebrate Hiss’s forward-thinking ideas and how they gave rise to the origins of the Sarasota School of Architecture (SSA). The full program and tickets are available here www.sarasotaMOD.org .
“In my opinion, a more highly qualified consultant in matters of architecture does not exist.”
Charles Colbert, dean emeritus of the Columbia School of Architecture, on Philip Hiss.
Philip Hiss was the pioneering developer behind Lido Shores, where he used knowledge of life in the global tropics to lead a group of emerging architects to create innovative designs well suited to this environment. Hiss expanded his architecture patronage by leading the Sarasota County Schools building program, which Time Magazine celebrated in their pages in 1958. He then went on to be a founder of New College, where he secured I.M. Pei to build dorms for the new school.
“Celebrating the legacy of Philip Hiss—the man who made Sarasota Modern—gives us the opportunity to share the origin story of the Sarasota School of Architecture. Hiss’ massive contributions to our community—intellectually, creatively, aesthetically—are but a microcosm of his impact nationally as a thought leader engaging with forward-thinking colleagues across the country, from Alfred Barr to Walter Paepcke to Margaret Mead,” said Anne-Marie Russell,
Executive Director of Architecture Sarasota.
“His visionary pedagogy wove the discourse of technology, education and design together in a way that presciently helped pave the way for future initiatives. His rich and varied contributions, including his war-time service, provide extraordinary inspiration to us all,” said Russell.
“A man of many well-developed interests, Hiss is an author, photographer, explorer, real estate
developer and civic leader. However, none of his interests is stronger than architectural design”
St. Petersburg Times 1964
The festivities kick off Thursday with a private VIP Champagne reception for Architecture Sarasota Circle level Members and MOD VIP Pass holders. Friday night welcomes guests to the Party Under the Banyan Tree at Hiss Studio, Saturday begins with the morning Symposium and an afternoon of walking, trolley and kayak tours. The inaugural Hiss Dinner on Saturday night celebrates the launch of Architecture Sarasota and The Hiss Award, and the tours continue on Sunday.
“There is no better way to underscore why our two organizations have joined together than to highlight the inspired work of Philip Hiss and the indelible mark he left on Sarasota,” said Anne Essner, Chair, Architecture Sarasota.
For a detailed schedule visit www.sarasotaMOD.org
About Architecture Sarasota
Architecture Sarasota stewards the legacy of the Sarasota School of Architecture and provides a forum for the education, advocacy and celebration of good design in the global built environment. Architecture Sarasota was established in 2021, when the Center for Architecture Sarasota and the Sarasota Architectural Foundation united to form a shared mission and vision to lead Sarasota forward, using our rich and globally recognized design heritage as a catalyst. Through exhibitions, public programming, events and thought leadership, Architecture Sarasota engages our community in partnership to use good design principles to bring about a more enlightened world.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.sarasotamod.org
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