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Sarasota Orchestra Announces Selection of OJB Landscape Architecture for Music Center Design Team

Sarasota Orchestra has selected OJB Landscape Architecture to lead the landscape design for the Music Center at 5701 Fruitville Road.

The firm will collaborate with design architect William Rawn Associates and executive architect HKS to integrate architecture and landscape throughout the 32-acre site, transforming the Music Center into a vibrant destination that supports community connections and social wellness.

Sarasota Orchestra Taps William Rawn Associates to Design Music Center

Sarasota Orchestra’s Board of Directors approved the selection of William Rawn Associates as the design architect for the future Music Center at 5701 Fruitville Road. The Boston-based firm will work closely with the executive architect, HKS, acoustician and theatre planner, Stages Consultants, and other key project partners to bring the transformative project to life. The Music Center will bring the region its first concert hall purpose-built for acoustic music.

Sarasota Orchestra Process to Select Design Architect Underway

When Sarasota Orchestra leaders select the architects responsible for designing the new Music Center, it will signify the realization of a meticulously planned and diligently executed process, representing a pivotal moment in the project’s transition from an aspirational concept to a concrete, physical structure.

The selection process began in earnest late in 2023 when Sarasota Orchestra’s Board of Directors approved the criteria for evaluating potential Design Architect partners. Informed by discussions with staff, musicians, and peers in the arts community, the seven requirements adopted by the Board (see sidebar on the right) consider both standard measures of professionalism, such as reputation and track record, as well as artistic vision and specific experience designing concert halls.

“It’s a very unique project that requires a qualified and collaborative architectural partner in order to deliver a successful project,” said Matt Edwards, senior vice president and project executive at Garfield Public/Private LLC. Edwards brings over 15 years of real estate and development experience to the Music Center planning team, including expertise in performing arts centers, theatres, and cultural venues. Among other projects, he recently led the development of Steinmetz Hall as part of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts campus, currently one of Florida’s only three concert halls for acoustic music.

Drawing on this experience, Edwards and his team developed a request for proposals and invited participation from a select list of design architectural firms with both expertise in acoustically excellent and architecturally significant venue designs.

Meanwhile, Sarasota Orchestra’s Board of Directors established a Building Committee that will review and evaluate proposals and interview top finalists. They anticipate presenting recommended architects for approval in the coming months.

“It’s definitely exciting to take a building program and turn it into something three-dimensional,” said Edwards. “The architects have a very specific and important responsibility to take the mission and vision of both the Orchestra and the Music Center and turn that into reality. Putting it on paper is the first step towards construction.”

Criteria for Evaluating Potential Music Center Design Architects

  1. Collaborative spirit: Evidence of successful collaboration on projects with multiple partners.
  2. Aesthetic and building integrity: Demonstrated commitment to an artistic vision and structural integrity.
  3. Reputation and experience: Affirmative testimony from other venue owners, consultants, and contractors.
  4. Responsiveness and timeliness: Proven ability to work efficiently and meet deadlines.
  5. Capacity and bandwidth: Assurance of staff tenure and availability to complete the work.
  6. Designing to budget: Demonstrated ability to create innovative designs within specified budget constraints.
  7. Phasing design and flexibility: Ability to design a venue that can be constructed in phases should the need arise.
This diagram illustrates how the design and executive architects will work together throughout the Music Center project.
This diagram illustrates how the design and executive architects will work together throughout the Music Center project.

ENSURING DESIGN AND ACOUSTIC EXCELLENCE THROUGH COLLABORATION

Some may be intrigued to learn there will in fact be two partners involved in the project: a Design Architect tasked with envisioning the overarching artistic direction and visual appeal during the initial design stages; and an Executive Architect, also known as the “Architect of Record,” who is licensed in Florida and responsible for transforming the design plans into construction blueprints while ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and quality assurance.

Sarasota Orchestra’s Executive Architect, HKS, was recently selected by the Sarasota Orchestra’s Board. In addition to considering the safety, accessibility, sustainability, and other standard requirements of any building project, both HKS and the Design Architect selected for the Music Center must also consider specifications for a concert hall with superb acoustics. They must work not only with each other, but also with the expert acousticians and theater planners at Stages Consultants who are leading research to determine needs for the performance platform size and configuration, volume space, height of the mechanized riser system, infrastructure to block exterior noise, and more.

BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DUE DILIGENCE

The work with Stages Consultants is just one example of the careful planning that has been carried out to reach this exciting time in the project. Other steps up to this point have included development of the building program to determine the size and function of the venue’s various spaces, securing approval for a zoning variance and special exceptions, surveying peers in the arts community about their needs, and extensive behind-the-scenes work on fundraising activities for the project.

“It’s worth noting that many projects falter when the architect is the first consultant hired, leading to simple renderings without program considerations,” said Edwards. “While artistic vision is important, we made a purposeful decision not to make this a design competition. We’ve conducted extensive due diligence through our strategic planning process, reaching the most efficient and effective time to advance to the next stages of the process to realize a truly outstanding Music Center.”

A TIMELINE FOR TRANSFORMING SARASOTA’S MUSICAL LANDSCAPE

The architectural design process, from conceptualization through approved construction drawings, is expected to take two years and will be followed by construction.

While the process may seem long for community members eager to experience the magic of a new Music Center, it is crucial to recognize that this is the final chapter in an endeavor to establish a transformative cultural hub for Sarasota, Manatee, and neighboring areas, designed to endure for the next century.

As Edwards aptly stated, “Sarasota Orchestra is not just constructing a building; it’s creating a legacy that will enrich the lives of generations to come.”

HKS Selected as Architect of Record for Music Center Sarasota Orchestra’s

Sarasota Orchestra’s Board of Directors has approved the selection of HKS as the architect of record, also referred to as an “Executive Architect” for its new Music Center.

The Executive Architect will work in close alignment with the Design Architect, Sarasota Orchestra leadership, project executives from Garfield Public/Private LLC., and theater planners and acousticians from Stages Consultants. The selection process for a Design Architect is underway. (Learn more in the above article, “Sarasota Orchestra Process to Select Design Architect Underway.”)

HKS, a leading global architecture firm with offices in Orlando and Miami, has extensive experience creating cultural facilities that celebrate and build community.

HKS was recognized in 2023 among winners of the American Institute of Architects’ COTE® Top Ten Award for sustainable design excellence, and in 2022 was named by Fast Company among the most innovative architecture firms. Its cultural portfolio includes the YouTube Theater (Inglewood, California), the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater (Salt Lake City, Utah), the Arlington Independent School District Center for Visual and Performing Arts (Arlington, Texas), and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (Orlando, Florida).

HKS has advised the Orchestra on the Music Center project since 2018, providing site fit analyses, building massing studies, and site master planning based on the Orchestra’s building program.

“We are thrilled to partner with HKS as our Executive Architect for the Music Center,” said Sarasota Orchestra CEO Joe McKenna. “The team’s extensive experience and commitment to excellence will be invaluable as we work with the design architecture firm selected to create a cultural landmark and a hub for community connection and education.”

“We understand the importance of this Music Center to Sarasota and Manatee, and we are excited to help bring to life a facility that reflects Sarasota Orchestra’s vision,” said Matt Clear, Partner and Director of HKS’s Orlando office. “We look forward to working closely with Sarasota Orchestra, the Design Architect, and other world-class consultants on this project to create a facility that stands apart not only for its beauty and performance, but also for its technical excellence.”

Music Center Update: April 2024

In this update, we’re excited to share the decision by Sarasota Orchestra’s Board of Directors to approve the selection of a critical project partner, and highlight for you why a Music Center is the “missing piece” of our arts and cultural community.

June 2022

When we announced in March that Sarasota Orchestra identified a site for our new home, we expressed a desire to develop our new music center and acoustically engineered concert hall into a valuable arts and cultural asset in which everyone in our dynamic region may take immense pride.

We are excited to share the first of many updates with you as work continues to realize this vision.

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