The final four firms will present live over two days in Sarasota at an open and accessible community event slated for May 31st and June 1st. They are Foster + Partners Limited, Gehry Partners LLP, Renzo Piano Building Workshop & Snøhetta.
SARASOTA, FL (May 17, 2023) – Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of four finalist firms for the design of a new Performing Arts Center at The Bay.
The final four firms will present at a public event held over two days, May 31 and June 1, 2023, showcasing their capabilities and ideas for what a new performing arts center could represent for the gulf coast community, resulting in a recommendation for the City.
The final four firms are Foster + Partners Limited, Gehry Partners LLP, Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Snøhetta.
“We are delighted at the number of outstanding architects represented in this finalist round, all four of whom have created buildings that welcome the communities in which they stand,” said Jenne K. Britell, Chair of the Architect Selection Task Force. “For this reason, I am confident Sarasota will welcome whoever is chosen from this extraordinary group to create an inspiring performing arts center. Any one of them is a gift to our Gulf Coast Community.”
After a transparent architect solicitation process that attracted 43 RFQ submissions from top design talent from around the world, 18 firms were invited to respond to the RFP. From there, six semi-finalist firms were selected for site visits and reference checks, with the final four firms advancing to onsite presentations on May 31 and June 1 in the Grand Foyer of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
A publicly accessible deliberation by the Architect Selection Committee will take place on Friday, June 2 at 9am in the SRQ where a final firm shall be recommended to the City for approval and contracting.
The Architect Selection Process has spanned 6-months to date, with the following milestones:
- November 2022 – RFQ produced 43 submissions from interested firms.
- January 6, 2023 – RFPs were received from 18 qualifying firms.
- February 27, 2023 – 6 semi-finalists were selected to continue.
- April 2023 – Site visits and reference checks were completed.
- May 12, 2023 – Final Four Firms selected for in-person presentations.
Future Dates
- May 31 & June 1 2023 – In-person presentations of the final four firms at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Details to follow.
- June 2nd, 2023 – Final deliberation by the Architect Selection Committee with a recommendation for Architect Design Firm made to the City Commission for approval and contracting. 9am at SRQ Media Studio on the first floor of the Annex Building of City Hall at 1565 First Street, Sarasota, FL 34236.
The live presentations and final deliberation will be free and open to the public to attend, additionally being recorded and available for viewing afterward, via the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation website.
“Delivering on the founding principle of a cultural and economic legacy for Sarasota, this project represents one of the most exciting and promising opportunities for transformation in the history of Sarasota. We look forward to recommending an architectural firm that will help Sarasotans realize their aspirations for the Performing Arts at The Bay,” said Jim Travers, Chair of the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation.
The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation anticipates that a design architect will be in place by the summer of 2023, with a master plan and implementation strategy expected to be recommended to the City of Sarasota by mid-2024.
The plan will embrace and reflect the needs of the community and deliver on the promise of a new performing arts center that serves as the centerpiece of The Bay, the 53-acre park that has transformed the Sarasota bayfront.
The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation has raised funds from private sources in the community to cover the entire cost of the architecture selection and design process. The design team will be funded by a lead contribution from the Paul Seed Fund at KBF CANADA.
ABOUT SARASOTA PERFORMING ARTS FOUNDATION
Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation’s mission is to create and sustain a vibrant performing arts center, advance education, and enrich communities by inspiring minds through the power of the arts. The Foundation has partnered with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall since 1987 to support arts education throughout our region, serving more than 35,000 students and their families annually with enriching arts-based education opportunities and professional development for more than 400 teachers across five counties. Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation is leading the vision to build a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center as a public-private partnership with the city and in collaboration with the Bay Park Conservancy and Van Wezel Hall.
About the Architect Selection Task Force
The Architect Selection Task Force consists of 3 Foundation Board Members and a City of Sarasota-appointed designate.
- Dr. Jenne K. Britell, Vice-Chair, Chair of Task Force
- Mark Famiglio, Board Member
- Michele Hooper, Board Member
- Mary Bensel, Executive Director, The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The live presentations and final deliberation will be free and open to the public to attend, additionally being recorded and available for viewing afterward, via the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation website.
Firm Links
- https://www.fosterandpartners.com/
- https://www.foga.com/
- http://www.rpbw.com/
- https://www.snohetta.com/
For more information about The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, please visit: www.SarasotaPerformingArtsFoundation.org.