Gehry’s Back? What About His Front?

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According to Witold Rybczynski in Slate, Gehry’s New World Symphony in Miami Beach proves he’s back. I’m not sure where he went, but the building is a well-detailed box that adds the civic-friendly option of turning itself inside out by broadcasting performances on the building to a lawn park.

A modern art installation with long grey pipes weaves through palm trees on a lawn with geometric pathways. A glass building stands in the background under a clear blue sky.

The seemingly blank wall is really a screen for projection

This is bascially a programming decision as much as a design decision, as is the building’s interface with the the park and the way the park functions. Interface and progamming are a lot of what makes a place pleasing and interesting. So an empty lot in Silver Spring becomes a weekend market or a Miami warehouse becomes a Sunday afternoon hangout.

Gehry’s building is nicely detailed, but it’s the interface with Dutch design firm West 8’s park that will make it a civic space.

A sunny park scene with palm trees casting shadows on the grass. People in the background are walking along the curved pathways lined by trees. Metal structures are visible in the distance.

Thank you for not building another bleak hardscape plaza or blank lawn

Intricate metal lattice structures create shadows on a walkway with red flowers and green grass. A domed building is visible in the background under a clear blue sky with some clouds. Trees line the path, adding a touch of nature.

when the bouganvillea grows in this space will be intoxicating; in the meantime–cool shadows

Close-up of a modern architectural facade with perforated metal panels arranged in an abstract pattern. The surface features small circular holes forming a geometric design, with visible seams between the panels. The color is a muted grey-green.

and another thing, with a little effort, even the boring stuff like transformer housings, can look good

One Response to “Gehry’s Back? What About His Front?”

    GK

    The NWS symphony is a great addition to the Lincoln Road area of Miami Beach. The park out front may be even better. On one level it is exactly what parks ought to be more often: nicely landscaped areas with trees and not so heavy handed on the infrastructure. This one is just that.

    The “infrastructure” is focused on a couple of features: the outdoor viewing area of projected performances and cyclonic frames at the site’s perimeter. The bougainvillea will thrive in this environment and likely fill them. The forms evoke Gehry shapes of earlier project, shapes that would be nearly impossible to create given Miami’s strict hurricane codes.