Miami Beach Sound Space

Miami Beach has always been a quasi-artistic destination throughout its history. From cutting-edge art deco architecture that blossomed in the late 1930s, to the avalanche of fashion photographers and film-makers that came in the 1990s, to the present-day Art Basel influence that began in 2002, artistic endeavors have always flourished under the Miami Beach sun.

Now, Miami Beach once again finds itself in the artistic spotlight, as one of the City's premiere cultural organizations, New World Symphony leaps into the future with a massive new project that has come to be known as SoundSpace—a project so new, in fact, that its exact design and precise location are only a distant, yet alluring vision.

New World Symphony is a teaching organization dedicated to the artistic, personal and professional development of outstanding classical musicians, and their success has been remarkable. Over half of all musicians in the world's orchestras were trained by Miami Beach's New World Symphony. Now, freshly armed with an Arts & Technology grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Symphony embarks on the creation of an innovative new facility to expand and improve its mission to train classical musicians.

Current plans call for the SoundSpace complex to occupy a huge open area north of Lincoln Road behind the Lincoln Theater, and will include an open-air concert area and outdoor video screen for viewing concerts and performances. But, undoubtedly what is most intriguing about SoundSpace is the person selected to be its creator, famed architect Frank Gehry.

From his Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to the awe-inspiring Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, Frank Gehry creates buildings that command attention, and the opportunity to have a Gehry-designed masterpiece sitting in the heart of Miami Beach is a concept that New World Symphony and many others in the City are embracing with open arms.

"Frank Gehry is a music lover. He understands the educational mission of the New World Symphony and the power of the concerts we produce," explains Howard Herrings, New World Symphony president and CEO. "He will give us a building that will invite us to express ourselves as we continue to set new standards for music education and discover new formats for performances."

Those new standards and formats include an advanced system called Internet2," a network that links 202 American colleges and universities using the most sophisticated transmission system available," Herring explains.

In plain English, what that means for New World Symphony and the SoundSpace project is that instructors conducting master classes, seminars, or rehearsals here in Miami Beach will have students attending and participating in those sessions in real-time even though students will be physically located in Tokyo, Zurich, Milan or hundreds of other locations around the globe.

Staying abreast of technology is a must for the Symphony, which has placed more than 500 of its alumni in leadership positions in orchestras around the world. Internet2 will allow the academy to interact with musicians in real time with the highest level of aural and visual quality.

"At New World, we are breaking new ground every day as we explore the power of interactive media," Herring proclaims. But, in order to fully explore this cutting-edge technology, a new building is necessary. SoundSpace, as the project has been dubbed, will be a 50,000 square feet facility at the center of a proposed new City park.

At the heart of this project is the City's agreement to lease the location for SoundSpace to New World Symphony for $1-a-year for 99 years. In exchange, the Symphony has agreed to provide valuable in-kind services to the citizens of Miami Beach.. The city will be allowed to use SoundSpace as a venue for City employees to hold seminars and professional development sessions at least four times annually without rental fees. The Symphony will also expand its current educational programs for local schools and organizations. But, what is most appealing to City officials is the prospect that SoundSpace is virtually guaranteed to attract high-quality tourist dollars from an elite community of travelers in-tune with the world of art.

While New World Symphony and many of the Beach's officials and residents view the new educational and music performance facility as a necessity, others feel it is not in tune with the city's needs. In a locale where the arts are a celebrated institution, SoundSpace is striking anything but a harmonious chord, and at the forefront of the debate is Miami Beach's most dreaded nemesis—parking.

"The city of Miami Beach is already experiencing a parking shortage, and this project calls for eliminating two municipal lots," Commissioner Richard L. Steinberg states. The lots Steinberg refers to are located on 17th Street, and in order to recoup the loss of parking spaces, the City has agreed to spend $6 million of its own money to build replacement parking—but this agreement does not sit well with Steinberg.

"Even though the project includes the construction of a new municipal parking garage that may replace the lost parking, I feel the lots on 17th Street are an integral part in the continuing success of the business on Lincoln Road, as well as the Jackie Gleason Theater," he explains. "I understand the significance of a Frank Gehry building, but I believe the city has a duty to not cause a diminution in parking for the public to accommodate it, nor to use funds designated to create additional parking for other purposes when parking shortages exist throughout our great city."

Steinberg is not alone in this thought process. At the August 10 City Commission board meeting, long-time members of the community spoke their mind about the parking shortage that exists on the Beach. It seemed Lincoln Road business owners also shared concerns about the loss of spaces. Establishments such as Finnegan's, the Claremont Hotel, Pipo Shoes, Neo Moda and The Fragrance Shop were encouraged to fax form letters to the commission sharing their hesitations about the project. These complaints propelled the city to consider another spot altogether for SoundSpace. That site, which has been rejected, was located two blocks west at the northeast corner of Convention Center Drive and 17th Street.

"Rumors of closing Drexel [Avenue] between 17th [Street] and Lincoln [Road] have been a concern of business and property owners," Steinberg admits. But according to Commissioner Jose Smith, business owners who once feared SoundSpace have changed their opinion.

"Most of the opposition was caused by misinformation and scare tactics. The property owners I speak to, who have the most at stake and are much more likely to be around when the project is completed, are strongly enthusiastic about the project," Smith says.

While Smith fully supports SoundSpace, he admits the city's main concern is making sure the progression does not disturb everyday life. "Construction sequencing is our main concern. We want to ensure the least amount of disruption to residents and businesses," he relays. "But this is the most exciting and worthwhile project in recent memory. I was proud to have the opportunity to vote in favor of it."

All of Gehry's plans for the $50 million building, which Herring says will be funded by individuals and organizations who support the Symphony, will be subjected to the City's Planning Board to make sure the design compliments the area's architectural style. SoundSpace will be composed of a 700-seat theater where fellows of the Symphony study, rehearse and perform. An open-air auditorium is also being planned, as well as the aforementioned plans to dedicate an entire side of the building to a giant video screen showcasing performances taking place inside the auditorium, as well as others around the world.

"SoundSpace will be a 21st century performance space. It will be ideal for educating our mission of the New World Symphony," Herring says. "At the same time, it will be integrated into the life of Miami Beach through expanded cultural tourism and as a resource for Miami Beach citizens."

While residents like Steinberg may not be completely in favor of the project in its current form, he doesn't question the impact SoundSpace will have on the community. "We feel [SoundSpace] will provide Miami Beach with a leading-edge advantage in destination marketing when attracting tourists and consumers interested in the arts," says Steinberg.

And that's something both he and Jose Smith can agree on.

As Smith puts it, "This project will bring our city to the superstar category in terms of art and culture. As I speak to folks from other communities, they are envious of what we were able to accomplish with the New World Symphony."