Sanderling Beach Club, Modernist beach club in Siesta Key, Florida

Sanderling Beach Club is a modernist seaside structure on the Gulf Coast of Siesta Key featuring multiple cabana buildings with curved barrel-vault roofs made from thin plywood sheets. The complex sits along the shoreline and displays architectural design principles that were forward-thinking for its era.

Paul Rudolph designed the Sanderling Beach Club in 1952, one of his Florida projects from the years when the Sarasota School of Architecture took shape. General contractor James Stroud, who also built Rudolph's 1953 Davis Residence and 1957 Harkavy Residence, carried out the construction. The club was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1994.

The club's cabanas are known for their low barrel-vault roofs, each built from two thin layers of plywood sheathing. General contractor James Stroud, who also built Rudolph's 1953 Davis Residence and 1957 Harkavy Residence, oversaw construction. The site joined the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1994.

The site is located on Sanderling Road in Sarasota and is best visited during daytime when natural light clarifies the architecture. The coastal position means you should wear protective clothing against wind and sun exposure.

The low barrel-vault roofs are built from two thin layers of plywood sheathing, a detail easy to miss from the sand. General contractor James Stroud, who also built Rudolph's 1957 Harkavy Residence and 1953 Davis Residence, oversaw construction.