The Center for Arts and Innovation selects internationally acclaimed architect Renzo Piano to design transformational new South Florida landmark

BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 7, 2023 / The Center for Arts and Innovation has selected the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano to design its forthcoming multimillion-dollar creative campus, set to redefine downtown Boca Raton and establish a global hub for creative excellence. With Piano only accepting two to three new commissions a year, this partnership is a testament of The Center's mission to transform Boca Raton into an internationally recognized destination for culture and technology, create a tremendous point of pride for residents, and reinvigorate the city's rich history of innovation.

Andrea Virgin speaking

Speakers: Andrea Virgin, Antoine Chaaya (RPBW), Mayor Scott Singer, Dick Schmidt

The reveal of RPBW as selected design architect

The Center will distinguish itself from any cultural venue across South Florida, encompassing versatile performance spaces, an innovation incubator lab for entrepreneurial empowerment and educational spaces for STEAM programming. The Center will meet a diverse breadth of community needs, drive economic growth, and attract new, discovery-seeking visitors to downtown Boca Raton.

Renzo Piano's acclaimed firm, Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), will commence work in late October 2023. The team plans to break ground in 2025, Boca Raton's centennial year.

Attendees of the press conference

"Over the last five years, leaders in Boca Raton and the region have dedicated their time, effort and resources to make today's historic announcement possible," says Andrea Virgin, Chair & CEO of The Center. "The international interest and ultimate selection of one of the world's greatest design architects underscores not only the global significance of this project, but the enormity of our supporters' courage, vision, and generosity."

"The Center's differentiating promise to integrate advanced technology and to function as a site for research and development-not only in the arts, but also between the arts and other sectors-is an unrivaled opportunity for Boca Raton," said Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and a South Florida native.

First initiated in 2018, The Center was conceptualized to fill a 60-mile gap in creative infrastructure along Florida's Gold Coast. Its landmark placement at the north end of Mizner Park, next to the Boca Raton Museum of Art, realizes the original vision of establishing a cultural hub in Boca Raton's downtown core, where 40 percent of the land was earmarked for such a purpose-despite only portions of that initial dream becoming a reality.

Community members have collectively contributed tens of millions of dollars in early operational and capital support, providing a strong foundation that has seeded the work to date and will continue anchoring design efforts into the future.

Matt Cimaglia, Andrea Virgin, Antoine Chaaya

"Innovation is a deep-rooted tradition in South Florida, including IBM's flagship in Boca Raton," says Matt Cimaglia, board member for The Center and the CEO of Alteon.io. "Having grown up in the city, I can attest to its inspirational power to fuel discovery and achievement across art, business, culture, and technology. The Center will reflect, harness and fuel that uniquely innovative spirit."

Representative David Silvers, Representative Mike Caruso, Representative Chip LaMarca, Andrea Virgin, State Senator Tina Polsky, Antoine Chaaya

Andrea Virgin, Antoine Chaaya, Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward

In October 2022, the City of Boca Raton formally approved The Center's mission, granting a 94-year ground lease at $1/year (more than $30 million in value) and signaling the critical importance of this project for the future of the city. Once operational, The Center is estimated to create more than $1.3 billion in overall economic impact in the area within its first five years, both from retained direct, indirect and induced spending and more than half a million new annual visitors to the city. The Center, coupled with other major capital improvements to the downtown area in recent years-including the Brightline light rail station across the street-is expected to catalyze further investments that will continue enhancing the city as a whole.

Andrea Virgin, Antoine Chaaya, Dick Schmidt, Mayor Scott Singer, Councilwoman Yvette Drucker, Councilwoman Fran Nachlas

"The Center has the promise of providing access to creativity, innovation, educational opportunities, inspiration and resources to inspire a new wave of entrepreneurs, creators, and ideas," says Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer. "The ripple effect of The Center into the community and beyond bodes well for our future."

The extensive selection process for The Center's architect was led by The Center's Building Committee, chaired by board member Camilo Miguel, Jr., CEO of Mast Capital, one of South Florida's most prominent real estate developers. Following the interest of 22 privately invited internationally recognized firms, the committee selected 10 finalists to respond to an RFP, after which four were ultimately shortlisted: Ennead (New York City), Foster + Partners (London), OMA (Rotterdam) and Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Paris/Genoa).

"To have three Pritzker laureates in our shortlist of design architects is a testament to the global significance of this project," said Camilo Miguel, Jr. "It's an honor to be at the helm of ushering in Renzo Piano's first cultural campus in South Florida."

"We are proud and honored to be the selected design architects for The Center for Arts and Innovation in Boca Raton, and we are eager to start working on this exciting project," said Renzo Piano.

RPBW is the acclaimed design team behind such global monuments as the Shard in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Whitney Museum and the New York Times building in New York, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, and the Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago, among many other notable museums, hospitals and cultural centers around the world.

Antoine Chaaya speaking with Andrea Virgin, Dick Schmidt and Mayor Scott Singer in the background

"Culture and art are essential-they shape our society, improve our quality of life, influence our behavior in making us more human, and help us to better connect to one another," says Antoine Chaaya, the partner in charge from RPBW. "The programming of The Center and its architecture must play in harmony, so that the project becomes a cultural and artistic destination. It is to become a place of inspiration that fosters creativity, where ideas can be inseminated and born."

Media Contacts

Pac Pobric, Havana Gazlay and Sam Biederman, BerlinRosen
BRCAI@berlinrosen.com

About The Center for Arts & Innovation

Conceptually announced in 2018, The Center for Arts and Innovation is a non-profit mission to create a comprehensive, economically vibrant, accessible, innovative and sustainable cultural destination in Boca Raton that will enhance the arts and cultural infrastructure in the city; benefit the residents, patrons, visitors, organizations and civic and business communities; and be a landmark along the Gold Coast for future generations of audiences, artists, students, businesses, technologies and institutions. The Center imagines six diverse & adaptive performance & event spaces - indoor and outdoor-ranging in seating capacity from 99 to 3,500 seats. These can be programmed as individual spaces or combined to host events for nearly 6,000 total attendees.

For more information on this project and how to get involved, visit their website, thecenterforartsandinnovation.org

About Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) is an international architectural practice with offices in Paris and Genoa. The Workshop is led by 11 partners, including founder and Pritzker Prize laureate, architect Renzo Piano. The company permanently employs nearly 130 people. Its 90-plus architects are from all around the world, each selected for his or her experience, enthusiasm and caliber. Since its formation in 1981, RPBW has successfully undertaken and completed more than 120 projects across Europe, the United States, Australia and East Asia. Among its best known works are the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas; the Kansai International Airport Terminal Building in Osaka; the Kanak Cultural Center in New Caledonia; the Beyeler Foundation in Basel; the Rome Auditorium; the Maison Hermès in Tokyo; the Morgan Library and the New York Times Building in New York City; and the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Recently completed works include the Shard in London and the new Whitney Museum in New York.

SOURCE: The Center for Arts & Innovation