Frank Gehry: New World Symphony

My friend, Heinrich, from VernissageTV, took pics of the new building going up in Miami by Frank Gehry. I haven’t had a chance to see its current progress, but I did see it several months ago when it was virtually a shell, a framework of a building.

“The new structure is currently being built on a prime piece of land just north of world famous Lincoln Road off Washington Ave in South Beach. Previously an uninspiring surface parking lot, the new structure hopes to transform this urban black hole, which served more like a barrier between Lincoln Road and The Filmore Miami Beach (previously the Jackie Gleason Theater), into an active urban space with a Frank Gehry designed park.” (AdamMizrahi)

Quoting a bulletin board entry by a person named Roark (currently banned on their site):

“I’ve just returned from a presentation of the project. The visionary behind the New World Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, has been friends with Frank Gehry for a few decades.

The New World Symphony, America’s only full-time orchestral academy, prepares gifted graduates of prestigious music programs for successful careers in orchestras and ensembles. NWS has launched the careers of more than 630 young musicians now making a difference in the profession worldwide.

When Michael Tilson Thomas and the NWS approached Gehry, they went with specific functions and needs.

Gehry has designed around those needs. Unlike Carnegie Hall, which protects the contents of the building, the NWS/Gehry vision is to open the inside to the outside, while maintaining the purpose of the space. That purpose is first and foremost educational.

The NWS is also a pioneering institution of Internet2, a super fast/powerful Internet based system that can stream real time audio/visual to the other side of the globe. Compounding the obvious educational applications, Gehry has proposed a video wall to be able to “receive” concerts to broadcast on the video wall. The video wall faces the $21Million park that is always open to the public.

This project will be far away more interesting than the two surface parking lots that are there now!!!!”

Official New World Symphony information about the building construction project.