2019 July 15
Sometimes two entities can come together so seamlessly that they create something even better. At Baker Barrios we work to create connections everyday between creativity and functionality, between design and performance and sometimes—art and architecture.
A recent Baker Barrios project, CitiTower, has united the two in an entirely new way, providing Orlando with a new apartment building that rises above the rest (literally) to create a unique experience for the building’s residents and the citizens of Orlando.
Ascending 24 stories into the downtown Orlando skyline, CitiTower merges a modern architectural design with vibrant art pieces from Miami-based artist Israel Guevara. The luxury apartment complex’s design includes an all-white exterior that pops against the blue Florida skies and includes mezzanine floors, wrap-around balconies and panoramic views of Lake Eola Park. The building’s exterior is adorned with 11 60-foot, 3-D art panels designed by Guevara, featuring geometric shapes and bold colors.
Baker Barrios provided architecture and interior design services for the project, and in addition to its sharp design, CitiTower includes over 200,000 square feet of living and retail space. It’s a large project with a striking presence, and with 11 four-story metal art panels adorning the sides of the building, you can’t miss it.
According to Guevara, the panels’ design was inspired by a thank-you card.
“About four years ago, I sent a thank-you card to Marlene Weiss and Albert Socol in Naples, Florida,” shared Guevara. “The couple had purchased three of my works for their private residence in Naples and I just wanted to thank them for their purchase. Being architects and designers, they loved abstract work with geometric abstractions and colorful lines.”
Weiss and Socol – the developers of the CitiTower project – liked the artwork on the card so much that they decided they wanted to incorporate it into the project.
“Marlene and Albert showed the thank you card to the City of Orlando’s Planning & Building Department and told them that they would like to do the art panels around the building with my designs,” added Guevara.
The super-sized versions of Guevara’s work took several months to complete. The design was transformed to include 11 colors (from 36 used in the original work) and then converted into a digital file and sent to a fabricator to construct the panels. The panels then took several more months to install.
Combining art and architecture wasn’t a simple process, according to Guevara.
“It was a challenge for me to integrate my artwork with architecture on the CitiTower project,” said Guevara, “There had to be mutual cooperation between the art and the building’s architecture.”
Clearly, there was.
Today, the 60-foot art panels remind all those who see them of the harmony that can be found between art and architecture.