Oolite Arts, formerly known as ArtCenter/South Florida, has selected the Barcelona-based firm Barozzi Veiga to design its Miami headquarters. Located at 75 NW Seventy-Second Street, the new permanent home will feature studios for Oolite’s artist residency program, exhibition space, a theater, and rooms for the 350-plus art classes the organization offers annually.
Barozzi Veiga has conceived of a space that prioritizes both artist and community needs, striking a balance between public and private. In addition to studios that seamlessly transform into active exhibition spaces, one of the building’s key elements is its diffused natural light, which offers artists spatial scenes in which they can realize their personal explorations. This quality is achieved by a repeated vertical typology that incorporates skylights, creates a collection of rooms, and optimizes control of the climate by powering solar chimneys and wind catchers. With these features, the architects have put forth an energy-conscious design that is set to attain LEED certification.
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