The Parasol Project
In 2014, I was working on a series of smaller projects in the vibrant, sun-soaked setting of South Beach, Florida. Though often mentioned alongside Miami, Miami Beach is actually its own distinct city, separated from Miami by the shimmering waters of Biscayne Bay and connected only by a network of iconic causeways.
At the time, Miami Beach was undergoing a cultural shift, moving away from its “Miami Vice” image of glitzy nightclubs and high-profile events toward a new era of tourism. However, in this transition, the city had developed a somewhat standoffish reputation among certain groups of potential visitors.
By the fall of 2015, the city had a series of major events on the horizon, and my contacts at the City of Miami Beach were eager to project a more welcoming atmosphere. I proposed a public art installation as a way to both create a visual “welcome beacon” and mask a long-standing eyesore along the main entrance to the island – a stripped, 10-story concrete shell of the former South Shore Hospital.
This site sat along the historic MacArthur Causeway, built in 1920, one of Miami’s most iconic roadways. Starting at the old Miami Herald building, the causeway crosses over helicopter airfields, lush Parrot Jungle, and the Star and Palm Islands. It then rises over turquoise waters, offering stunning views of the downtown skyline and the most beautiful lineup of cruise ships in the country, before finally landing at Miami Beach’s famed 5th Street.
Unfortunately, after this breathtaking approach, visitors were greeted by the stark remains of the South Shore Hospital – a visual letdown at the very entrance to the Beach. The Parasol Project was conceived to transform this unsightly structure, wrapping it in a vibrant, welcoming message that would set a more inviting tone for the millions arriving via this grand causeway each year.
156 large round and rectangular parasols will cover a dilapidated building as ithey simulate blooming flowers.
The project consisted of over 155 brightly colored large parasol sunshades in both round and rectangular shapes.An attachment system was designed to hold each parasol in specific placement in the building façade.
The shapes would thereafter be arranged in a heart pattern as well as in a series of dots & dashes to create a pattern in Morse Code that translate to ‘Welcome’ and ‘We Love You’.
The purpose of the art was to create a huge public art piece that is environmentally conscious and raises awareness for our beautiful City of Miami Beach and South Florida.
The purpose of the installation was to show the viewer the beauty of our natural surroundings through the beautification of an unfinished or dilapidated building and welcome visitors to the City and its famous Art Show.
Although the project was approved, it is with great sadness that I must report that ultimately the project could not be deployed for the December 2015 Art Basel and Art Week due to an unseasonal high wind event.
While the installation was engineered to withstand high winds and even partial detachment, the City and landowners were concerned that even a partial failure in 50 knots of wind from 10 floors up could cause substantial injury or damage.
Since that time however, similar installations using the same products and engineering have been considered in several other locations.
