If the streets did not turn directly in the parking garage at the town center in Lake Nona, you might never realize what it is. Artist and Landscape Architect Jefre has draped the structure in a dazzling refraction of light on the exterior, as well as a multimedia projection onto the white scales of a spool shaped corner tower that has become an icon there.
In November, the OFA will have our Art Show at the Orlando Museum of Art, courtesy of the efforts of the artist known as Jefre. We are fortunate to be able to host our show at the same time his JEFRE POINTS OF CONNECTION is on exhibit. So we want to thank him with a blog post on his Beacon and Code Wall art project incorporated into the Lake Nona Town Center Parking Garage. In 2016 he received the AIA Orlando Consultant of the Year Award, in no small part for this amazing installation among other he has collaborated with noted international architecture firms.
Jefre Manuel “received a call from Tavistock to enhance the garage structure they were building.” He recalls, “instead I proposed we turn the garage into the art itself.”
Jefre had already been involved with the Percent for Art program, a government initiative to help include public art in building projects. He received 8 commissions in his first year of pursuing public art projects. When he started discussions with Tavistock he had a strong portfolio to support his promise to elevate the garage structure.
The garage is clad in a metal veil of binary code, zeros and ones in a stencil typeface cut through metal sheets. Dichroic glass plates mounted across its extents split and reflect the sunlight during the day, and spot lighting at night to produce an explosion of rainbows across the façade. The tower is a giant projection screen with ever changing video media, it features solicited art displays produced by digital artists. The binary code is not random. It translates into the missions and goals of the Lake Nona community: such as “inspire,” “participate,” and “connect.”
Adjacent to the Beacon, hotel guests are requesting a room with a view of the visual excitement that is a garage. He calls this creation a ‘postcard moment’, social media worthy artwork that generates picture taking and pedestrian traffic in general. While coming to see the art, people will then explore the surrounding community, the shops, and restaurants. This is the case with the placement of the Beacon and garage at the Town Center.
Check out this link at YouTube with a video of one of the multimedia shows projected onto the Beacon tower: https://youtu.be/5u0HhhYvHVg
Please donate to the OFA during these tough times with a contribution or membership to help keep this program. https://orlandoarchitecture.org