JORGE BLANCO'S BRAVO! A CITY OF VISIONARIES, ROUNDABOUTS, AND THE ARTS

A look at successful roundabout projects in Sarasota, click on photo to read complete article by Ken Sides, P.E., PTOE / February 22, 2021

Bravo! Roundabout at Ringling Boulevard & Orange Avenue. Photo by Ken Sides.

C-Squared General Contractors Inc. constructed this roundabout under a $875,914 contract with the city. The Bravo! artwork was purchased for $150,000 using Public Art Funds.

The Bravo! artwork in the roundabout central island comprises three separate 18-ft tall sculptures that were joined during the installation process. The sculptures are made of stainless steel and aerospace aluminum and finished with power-coated paint to withstand the elements.

Design services for the roundabout were provided by Sam Schwartz Engineering in Tampa, Florida, with Greg Trim as lead design engineer. Trim has designed more than 100 modern roundabouts, of which more than 40 have been constructed to date. The Bravo! roundabout was made possible at that time because the design was privately funded by a Sarasota resident who wished to see Sarasota’s downtown roundabout aspirations accelerated.

Vehicular traffic traversed the prior, conventional intersection at 35 mph. By design, the bus-friendly modern roundabout caps all vehicle speeds below 20 mph. The signalized prior intersection was awkward and intimidating for pedestrians, who had to walk a single-stage 90-ft crossing. At the new roundabout, pedestrians walk only 14 ft across one lane of approaching traffic to the roundabout splitter island where they can comfortably wait for a safe gap in the slow-moving exiting traffic before walking the 14-ft second stage of the crossing. Careful design made it possible for the roundabout to fit within the constrained urban setting with no need to purchase right of way.

The Florida DOT provided Local Agency Program funding for construction. The roundabout opened in July 2018 “to rave reviews from residents and users” alike, according to Shaw. The roundabout has proven to solve both traffic congestion and concerns for pedestrian safety. An example of context-sensitive design in an urban setting, it won the 2019 Small Projects Award for Engineering Excellence conferred by the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers.

From a Different Angle

From a Different Angle

"From a Different Angle" ©Jorge Blanco 2021

Private commission. Photo courtesy of the collectors.

61 1/4 x 60 x 51 3/8 in • 155.5 x 152.4 x 130.5 cm

Aluminum + powder-coating

Jorge's work "From a Different Angle" is a special commission installed this winter at an outstanding house, designed by architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen and lovingly restored by its present owners, located in Maryland, United States. This unique sculpture was commissioned through Sculpturesite Gallery of Sonoma, California. This sculpture was a close collaboration between the artist, the gallery and its client resulting in an exceptional work of art.

Working with Architects & Developers

Developer: Three hotels vying for flag in new downtown tower

Excerpt from article By Laura Kinsler

Grothspotter | Aug 21, 2020 at 5:33 PM

This is a conceptual rendering of the hotel lounge space, which features a metal sculpture by Jorge Blanco. (DLR Group)

"Summa Development Group Principals Albert Socol and Marlene Weiss have promised to bring downtown Orlando’s first 5-star convention hotel to the central business district as part of the new mixed-use tower at 319 E. Church St. The plans call for 129 branded

residences – a combination of 102 condominiums and 27 penthouse units over the hotel.

The husband-and-wife developers and lead architect Steve Cavanaugh of DLR Group met via teleconference with the city’s AppearancevReview Board Thursday to get the city’s initial feedback on the design.

During the meeting, Weiss explained the purpose for the solid band that separates the hotel from the luxury condos on the upper floors, which

one ARB member likened to a waistband.

”The band that’s in between the hotel and condo space intentionally is left blank for the famous name of the hotel we’re going to get, which

right now we have three fighting for,” Weiss said.

The condominiums will share the same branding as the hotel and will be built with the same 5-star finishes, Socol said.

Cavanaugh) described the inspiration and design process he engaged in with the clients to come up with a building that emphasized fluid curves, transparency and elegance. “We started to think of the project as almost like a sculptural piece on top of a pedestal – the pedestal being the podium of the project,” he said."