Brooks + Scarpa Architects, a collective of architects, designers and creative thinkers dedicated to enhancing the human experience, was recently awarded the Distinctive Detail Merit Award in the Unbuilt Category from the Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for the innovative design of public art piece to be installed at the entrance of the new Pembroke Pines City Center.

“We are thrilled that Brooks + Scarpa received this award. It speaks volumes that The Gateway sculpture was recognized by their peers,” said Jill Slaughter, Chief Curator of The Frank, the multi-disciplinary two story art gallery and learning space at the City Center. “The sculpture and landscape elements frame the pedestrian gateway into our new public plaza, providing wayfinding and anchoring a sense-of-arrival. It’s another example of our dedication to using the arts as a tool to foster social engagement and cultural connection.”

The Brooks + Scarpa City Center Gateway sculpture, with attending landscape features, creates a dappled light effect as you walk between bromeliad mounds – an experience like that of a tropical forest. The 18-foot high painted stainless steel threshold piece provides a shaded area for seating, and features programmable up lighting to enhance the user experience.

A National Endowment for the Arts Our Town grant partially funded the design of the City Center plaza and will support the art-centric multi-disciplinary ACT Festival on March 18 to celebrate the opening of the plaza. “The National Endowment for the Arts, together with grants from the county and state, have been instrumental in supporting our vision to foster connection, initiate cultural change and promote innovation” said Slaughter. The inclusive atmosphere at Pembroke Pines City Center will welcome our richly diverse community to create partnerships for social engagement and participate in the culture and creativity that thrives in our own backyard.”

Fabricating the Brooks + Scarpa sculpture is YetiWeurks, a Colorado-based engineering consulting service for public artists, art fabricators and art project managers.The piece will be unveiled on the plaza at the opening of the City Center in March 2017.

For more information about The Frank, call 954.392.2129. Follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines.

About The Frank

Scheduled to open March 9. 2017 as a part of the new Pembroke Pines City Center, The Frank is a two story art gallery named after Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis for his decades-long commitment to the cultural arts. The Frank art gallery will showcase multi-disciplinary inclusive exhibitions to foster connections, initiate cultural change and promote innovation. The gallery’s exhibition and learning space will serve as a site of convergence for artists, performers, thought leaders and community members to create partnerships for social engagement, leveraging the power of the arts to create a sense. The Frank will offer art as experience, not entertainment.

The Frank is located at 601 City Center Way Pembroke Pines, FL 33025. Stay connected and follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines. For more information, call 954.392.2129 or email: thefrank@ppines.com.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Admission charges are subject to change during special events. Times and dates for special events will be announced.

Pembroke Pines City Center project is funded in part by Broward County Cultural Division, Culture Builds Florida, Hello Sunny-Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Arts.