Barozzi Veiga Designs Cultural Centre in Miami

Barozzi Veiga Designs Cultural Centre in Miami

Oolite Arts revealed the design of its new Miami headquarters designed by Spanish architecture practice Barozzi Veiga, making it the studio’s first built project in the United States. The design’s morphology echoes the idea of a village for artists through a collection of rooms and a rhythm of vertical structures. The structure incorporates rich vegetation and strives to balance public and private, thus prioritizing both artists and community needs. The project, created in collaboration with local firm Charles H. Benson & Associates, is set for completion in 2024.

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The project will host Oolite Arts’ artist residency, cinematic arts programs, lecture series and art classes, as well as 21 individual studio spaces, an exhibition gallery, a theatre, a community garden and an accessible rooftop. As stated by  Dennis Scholl, President and CEO of Oolite Arts, the new campus programming will provide “a thriving cultural hub where artists can grow and come together”.   

We understand architecture as a background for life or work. We try to give the artist the best conditions to work. And that means finding this balance between a very intimate space, which is represented by the studio, and a space for community life, which is part of Oolite’s DNA – Barozzi Veiga

The design proposed by Barozzi Veiga opens to the neighbourhood in all directions, thus encouraging community engagement. The project features a stark, austere exterior, contrasted by the lush vegetation of the interior courtyard, much like a walled garden. The architecture makes use of a diffused natural light that aids artistic explorations. The vertical elements function as skylights, solar chimneys, wind catchers and water tanks, becoming an architectural expression of the building’s sustainability ethos.