WELLINGTON ARTS COMPLEX

Location: Wellington, FL (Palm Beach)
Building Area: 10 aces
Architect & Designer: George Ranalli
Project Architect: Kimberlae Saul
Project Assistants: Yule Lee

The project is a 10 acre Arts Complex in Wellington, Florida on a site adjacent to a 99 acre lake. There are three theaters, two museum/gallery buildings, a parking structure, outdoor dining and recreational facilities to enhance the arts program complex. The project seeks to explore the relationship between the buildings in the arts complex and the Florida landscape.

The complex of theaters offers an indoor, outdoor and black box theaters arranged in a manicured landscape setting where water is an integral element to the design. There are two cafes sitting in the lake with large copper sun shades which produce an outdoor dining facility of memorable value. This dining facility is meant to function both as part of the theater arts complex and as a separate entity. The lake water occupies aspects of the site through channels, pools and rivulets of water. This water system, both active and standing, has a natural cooling effect on the overall landscape design. In addition all the buildings are connected by a copper covered walkway laced throughout the site to protect the visitors from heat, glare and the occasional rain.

The theaters are the main focus of the design. They occupy primary locations in the site plan and they are designed with strong forms to reinforce their essential positions in the plan as well as provide strong interiors for the program events. The site is divided into several zones of outdoor public space. The courtyards are for public gathering before and after performances and as courts for sculpture.