Is Guy Peterson House Eyesore or Masterpiece?

A large, white sugar cube of a house that architect Guy Peterson designed at 1601 Prospect St. is creating stir in an old Sarasota neighborhood.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that the appearance of the brand-new house that is hard to miss at Orange Avenue and Prospect Street is raising eyebrows for its boldness and for just being plain different.

It is 35 feet tall – the maximum height allowed in Sarasota. It boasts a rooftop lounging area, pool with kitchen, funky-looking turquoise wondow boxes and a very modernist appeal. There also is a series of 80 folding glass doors that compose a glass wall. The perforated wall that distinguishes the home faces south.

Peterson told the Herald-Tribune:

"I would rather do a house that people don't like than one they don't notice," the architect said. "I think architecture should create some emotion. Hopefully, it is a positive one."

The avant-garde design has not stopped neighbors from complaining, comparing it to a jailhouse.

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