What it is: one of the jewels of the Sarasota School of Architecture, built by Paul Rudolph in 1955. As far as modernism goes, it is one of the icons of the movement, famous all over the world.

Siesta Key's world-famous Cohen House.

Stats: 2,300 square feet. Two bedrooms, two baths. Enormous living room, complete with conversation pit. Large lot (27,000 square feet) right on Bayou Louise at the north end of Siesta, with a dock.

Local history: built by David and Eleene Cohen. He used to be the mayor; the Cohens were arts patrons and early supporters of the Florida West Coast Symphony. In fact, the living room was designed so that orchestral performances could be held there. You could say that Sarasota’s reputation as a cultural center began right in this room.

Living room

Dining room

Price break: Marty tells me that just for Real Estate Junkie readers, she has a special price: $1.3 million. That’s down from the original price of $1.8 million. Even without its fame and beauty, that’s a great price for Siesta Key waterfront.

For more information on the Cohen house: http://www.modernsarasota.com/listings/listingDetail.cfm?lisId=27

For some interesting magazine articles about the house, try these links: http://www.modernsarasota.com/files/pressRelease/METROPOLIS-08-06329399.pdf; http://www.modernsarasota.com/files/pressRelease/HOME%20FORT%20LAUDERDALE%201-06457556.pdf; http://www.modernsarasota.com/files/pressRelease/rudolf429063.pdf