FIU Inaugurates the Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture
Building
Designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects
MIAMI, Fla. (April 9, 2003) -- The tile work might be evocative of the rising and setting sun. Or maybe an artistic reference to the work of celebrated Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí. Perhaps an interpretation of the ceramic tile on the space shuttle.
One thing is for sure: the Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building at Florida International University is not what one might expect.
Designed by internationally
renowned architect Bernard Tschumi in a joint venture with BEA International,
the $16 million project opens a new chapter in the book of South Florida
architecture.
The Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building will be inaugurated at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 11. The building is located near the University Park entrance at 11200 SW 8th Street in West Miami-Dade.
"Our project starts from the following thesis: Architecture can generate interaction," said Tschumi. "Through their programs, as much as through their spatial organization, buildings can intensify social or cultural interfaces."
The project is a combination of five buildings of different heights interconnected with walkways and bridges that together offer 102,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classroom, studio, gallery, workshop and office space. The buildings open up to a central courtyard that the architect hopes will foster interaction among students and the faculty.
"This extraordinary building will be a landmark on our campus," said FIU President Modesto A. Maidique. "It's imaginative, it's unique and will attract visitors to the University and Miami-Dade County."
Some of the elements that make this project unique are:
- The use of ceramic tile in tones of yellows, oranges and reds
- The use of pre-cast concrete tilt-up panels
- The multi-level technologically advanced studio with space for 375 students
- An auditorium with a state-of-the-art audiovisual system
- An exhibition gallery
- The courtyard with an outdoor cafe and rooftop terrace
FIU Architecture Dean, Juan Antonio Bueno said that in the few months that the building has been occupied by the School, it has become amply evident how smart and efficient the design is.
"Each studio and thesis student is assigned an enviable workstation complete with internet connection," said Bueno, who has a landscape architecture degree from Harvard University. "I wish I had had something like this when I went to school."
The building is named after former FIU trustee Paul L. Cejas, who years ago, as a member of the state Board of Regents, championed the creation of the school and later made a significant philanthropic gifts to FIU totaling $2 million in support of the School of Architecture.
For more information and images of the Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building at FIU, please visit http://www.fiu.edu/~soa/cejas/
Media Contact:
Maydel Santana-Bravo
305.348.1555
santanam@fiu.edu
