Coral Gables Museum Receives Preservation ‘Honorable Mention’

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - April 15, 2014 - PRLog -- The Coral Gables Museum, an educational and cultural institution with exhibit programming focused on architecture, urban design and planning, sustainable development and preservation, has received an Honorable Mention in the Preservation Education/Media category from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual awards program for the acclaimed exhibit, Concrete Paradise: The Miami Marine Stadium.  The Trust’s prestigious awards program recognizes outstanding examples of preservation of architectural, archaeological and cultural resources in Florida.

“We are proud of the Coral Gables Museum and its efforts to educate the community on the value of preserving historic places, which dovetails perfectly with the mission of the City Beautiful,” said City of Coral Gables Mayor James Cason. “Being recognized by the Florida Trust is a special honor that validates the effectiveness of the Coral Gables Museum’s programs and activities.” The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation advocates for legislation and funding in support of historic preservation on behalf of Florida’s many historic sites, museums and parks.

Every city has a building that is emblematic of its culture and history. New York has the Empire State Building and Paris has the Eiffel Tower. For Miami, Florida, that building is the Ralph Munroe Marine Stadium, a modernist concrete structure that looks like an origami rendition of the Sydney Opera House. Designed in 1963 by a young Cuban architect named Hilario Candela, this 6,566-seat stadium is a marvel of design and engineering that takes its architectural cues from Havana’s Tropicana Nightclub. The Miami Marine Stadium exhibit featured film clips, antique hydroplanes, videos of Parkour athletes’ stunts, site-specific graffiti murals, and much more. This multi-media exhibit brought Miami’s most daringly modern building back to dazzling life.

The Coral Gables Museum’s current exhibits include Marking the Millennium: 21st Century Miami Architecture, which features architectural photography, plans, models and videos representing a selection of post-2000 Greater Miami buildings on display; and Creating the Dream: George E. Merrick and His Vision for Coral Gables. Earlier in 2014, the Water is Life exhibit featured select artworks from Coral Gables art galleries and the University of Miami Master of Fine Arts program that contemplate the beauty, wonder, opportunities and challenges of water as a precious resource.

With more than 1,200 members, the Coral Gables Museum is the Official Visitors Center of the City of Coral Gables. Highly regarded as the cultural center of Downtown Coral Gables, the Museum’s mission is to celebrate, investigate and explore the civic arts of urban and environmental design and architecture by fostering an appreciation for the history, vision and cultural landscape of Coral Gables. In addition to exhibits, it offers a variety of educational programs for the community and the popular City Trekker camp series for students. The Coral Gables Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday. For more information, visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org.