CITYZEN GARDEN ARCHITECT TO KICK OFF NEW FREE SPEAKER SERIES
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (May 24, 2019) — The internationally renowned Finnish architect behind Broadstone’s newly opened CityZen Garden will be the first speaker within the new Emergence series, presented free to the public by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority. Marco Casagrande’s talk on Friday, May 31 will kick off the bi-annual masterclass-style talks that will bring acclaimed, forward-thinking professionals to West Palm Beach. These individuals will share their insights on emerging themes in contemporary urban architecture and art, as well as how they relate to the growth and development of Downtown West Palm Beach.
A graduate of the Helsinki University of Technology, Casagrande is known for his theory of “urban acupuncture” which defines his designs. The theory views the city as a multi-dimensional living organism and aims to relieve stress using pressure points in the environment – similar to how the traditional Chinese medical technique acupuncture relieves stress in the body. It is this theory that inspired Downtown West Palm Beach’s CityZen Garden, a public park designed for both active neighborhood gatherings and passive, meditative activities. Developed with local artistic duo Béju and Sherryl Muriente of LeJobart, CityZen Garden is the first and only permanent ‘urban acupuncture’ project in the U.S.
The first Emergence experience taking place on Friday, May 31 at 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., will include a networking Happy Hour at the Fern Street Wine Bar & Kitchen, located at 501 Fern St. from 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Casagrande will take the stage at the Related Companies office in Suite 105 for a free lecture at 6:30 p.m. There will be a live Q&A following the speech. The public is invited to attend. Interested guests should RSVP to SMuriente@DowntownWPB.com by May 28.
The second part of this series will take place in September, featuring Philippe d’Anjou, an associate professor of architecture at Florida Atlantic University. Emergence is possible through a collaboration between the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, Rosemary Square, 1909 and Connect WPB. For more information, please visit https://DowntownWPB.com/emergence
The West Palm Beach DDA is an independent taxing district created in 1967 by a special act of the Florida Legislature. Its mission is to promote and enhance a safe, vibrant Downtown for our residents, businesses and visitors through the strategic development of economic, social and cultural opportunities. For more information about the DDA or Downtown West Palm Beach, please visit http://www.downtownwpb.com or call the DDA at (561) 833-8873.
About Marco Casagrande
Marco Casagrande (born 1971) graduated from the Helsinki University of Technology Department of Architecture in 2001. From the early stages of his career, Casagrande started to mix architecture with other disciplines of art and science landing with a series of ecologically conscious architectural installations around the world. All in all, more than 70 realized works in 14 countries.
He is the laureate of the European Prize for Architecture 2013, Committee of International Architecture Critics CICA Award 2013 for conceptual and artistic architecture and UNESCO & Locus Foundation’s Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2015.
