With
all of the theme parks, resorts, and get-rich-quick
schemes in central Florida, it's only natural to expect
some unconventional architecture to pop out of the
ground. This is, perhaps, the most unexpected piece.
Standing at least 100-feet tall overlooking a lagoon
along the side of U.S. 441 is a tower made of plastic
Tupperware bowls. This tower can serve no other purpose
than to draw attention to the ground it stands on
-- the corporate headquarters of the Tupperware company.
It is outfitted in pastel colors, and lest you think
this is a one-time-only publicity stunt, the tower
sits on a concrete base and has underground lights
that illuminate it like a giant roasting flamingo
at night. This is a permanent display. Permanent enough
that a pair of falcons have made a nest at the top.
From the side, it appears as the silhouette of yet
another weary housewife dragging yet another case
of perky plastic samples to yet another Tupperware
party somewhere in the world hoping that if she sells
enough maybe she, too, can break free of her suburban
slumber and live life on her own terms. Whatever it
represents, Tupperware had a $1,100,000,000.00 in
sales in 1999, and needs to maintain its image as
a titan of global industry worthy of the attention
of Wall Street wizards and global investment funds.
Thus, the Tupperware Tower, a lasting symbol of whimsy
in the face of corporate America, has no home on the
company's home page. Still, in the right light it
is an awe-inspiring sight instilling a sense of wonder
in those who see it. For example, we wonder if the
door to the maintenance stairwell has a stay-fresh
airtight seal.