Florida-based public artist, JEFRË and New York-based Michael Counts and 3-Legged Dog create The Beacon, an art installation for Orlando community, Lake Nona

The multimedia installations will debut in January 2016

ORLANDO, Fla. – Lake Nona is collaborating with internationally renowned artists, JEFRË and Michael Counts on a public art project to launch in tandem with the opening of phase one of the Lake Nona Town Center, which opens this winter. Located in Orlando, Lake Nona is an 11- square-mile innovative community and one of the fastest growing master- designed communities in America, owned by Tavistock Group, an international private investment organization founded by Joe Lewis.

The Beacon is a six-story installation designed by celebrated Florida-based public artist JEFRË, and brought to life with video concepts and designs by Michael Counts, a New York-based installation designer and immersive theatre director in partnership with the 3-Legged Dog (3LD) Art and Technology Center. The art installation will be a focal point of the first phase of Lake Nona Town Center.

The Beacon is a 60-foot sculptural steel enclosure, inspired in part by the first Stethoscope, wrapped with high-definition video projections, creating cinematic video artwork that will bring the structure to life each night. The Beacon is hollow inside and its outer layer is composed of aluminum panels with scalloped edges. Featuring a rotating array of sculptural video concepts conceived by Michael Counts and created by a team of designers at 3LD, the look and character of the structure – as well as the overall experience at Lake Nona Town Center – will be continually evolving.

Accompanying this installation is another artwork called Code Wall, also designed by JEFRË, a 264-foot-long wall that adds an outer layer to the Lake Nona Town Center parking structure. This layer is perforated with binary code and adorned with dichroic glass panels that reflect sunlight, and choreographed LED lights. The binary code is illuminated by dynamic lighting design by Michael Counts and Ryan O’Gara. When translated, the code spells out the various missions and goals of the Lake Nona community, for example: inspire, participate and connect.

The technology and programming developed by 3LD will allow for full multimedia experiences, with music, light, video, interactive elements and performances to be created by other digital and performing artists for future presentations at Lake Nona Town Center.

“The Beacon and Code Wall help fulfill our vision of making the Lake Nona Town Center a celebrated gathering place within the community,” said Lake Nona President Jim Zboril. “We are taking a parking garage – typically one of the least aesthetically pleasing visual elements of a development – and are turning it into a leading edge, technology-oriented centerpiece.”

 "Being a resident of Orlando for 15 years and having completed monumental works around the world, it was an honor to finally create a postcard moment and destination for Lake Nona and Orlando.” said JEFRË. “Over 62 million visitors come to Orlando each year and possibly their first and last view, as they fly in and out of Orlando International Airport, will be of The Beacon at Lake Nona.”

“I’m thrilled to be collaborating with JEFRË and the incredible team at Lake Nona on such a forward thinking public art project. Creative and technological opportunities that push the envelope, as this project will, are rare in my experience. I have no doubt that this artwork will have resonance throughout Orlando and well beyond and will be a piece with enduring significance,” said Michael Counts.

The first phase of the Lake Nona Town Center, a Tavistock Development, will open this winter and will feature restaurants, an office building and two hotels, a Marriott Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott. A next phase is under design expected to include additional office and restaurants, a cinema, a fitness center and retail. At build out, the Town Center will include more than one million square feet of shopping and entertainment options contiguous to Lake Nona Medical City.

To view an interactive rendering and images of the project, click HERE:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fzu1tuxvolbmecg/AABA6ZEOkAkzpwmj0BceS

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For more information on Lake Nona, please visit lakenona.com and tavistockdevelopment.com.

About the Artists

JEFRË, a noted public artist, has constructed several site-specific artworks in cities around the world including London, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Abu Dhabi, San Antonio, and most recently Manila. JEFRË studied at the Art Institute of Chicago prior to receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from Ohio State University. JEFRË was named one of seven "Faces of Design for 2007" by Florida Inside Out architecture magazine for his environmental art and couture landscapes. As a designer and public art initiator, his design solutions originate from a deep understanding of the historical, environmental, social and contextual relationships influencing the site and the architecture. In 2008, JEFRË launched his own couture landscape and public art studio with a focus on environmental art, green roofs, boutique plazas and parks and public art master plans. He was selected by the prestigious Marlborough Gallery in New York City as an “Up and Coming International Public Artist” and chosen by the Lexus Corporation to be the sixth member of their ECO Hybrid Living National Design Team to design environmental conscious carbon neutral environments. JEFRË is passionate about sharing his public art initiative through his line of new interactive designs and upcoming public art projects.

Michael Counts, a world renowned director and visual artist known for his imaginative multimedia opera and theater productions, most recently staged Rossini’s “Moses in Egypt” with the New York City Opera, which made the New York Times Top Ten list for theatrical and opera productions in 2013. His “Philharmonic 360” with Allen Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic at the Park Avenue Armory was called one of the Top 20 Cultural Events of 2011 by the New York Times. Other projects include his creative direction of the Michael Kors brand launch event in Shanghai, China (with 3LD) and the upcoming debut opera from jazz legend Wayne Shorter and pop star Esperanza Spalding as well as a Walking Dead immersive live experience.

3-Legged Dog (3LD) is one of America’s leading Art, Technology and Experience Design companies. 3LD produces new, original works in immersive and environmental theater and performance, digital media, cutting edge film and technologically empowered hybrid art forms. As a creative and production services provider for commercial projects, the 3LD Special Projects Group has singular access to the best talent and proprietary methods that allows the company to maximize value at whatever budget level a commercial project allows. Recent clients and partners include Michael Kors, American Express, Bloomberg LLC, Vice Magazine, Lady Gaga, Calvin Klein, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The New York Public Library, and The Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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For more information, contact: 

Jessi Blakley, APR, Tavistock/Lake Nona, 407.909.7030, jblakley@tavistock.com  

Vyoma Venkataraman, Susan Grant Lewin Associates – JEFRË, 212.947.4557, vyoma@susangrantlewin.com

About Lake Nona

Orlando’s Lake Nona is one of the fastest growing communities in America with more than $2.8 billion in construction across 7.1 million square feet of world-class residential and commercial facilities. The 11-square-mile master-designed community is home to thoughtfully designed neighborhoods, world-class education facilities, Lake Nona Medical City, a sports innovation and performance district highlighted by USTA’s New Home of American Tennis, diverse work spaces, recreational facilities, retail centers, and entertainment venues encompassing the best Orlando has to offer with all the conveniences of a dynamic, vibrant community. Driven by a long-term vision, Lake Nona is committed to building an innovative community focused on sustainable design, healthy living, and groundbreaking gigabit fiber optic technology. Adjacent to the Orlando International Airport, Lake Nona will feature more than five million square feet of commercial space, 2,250 hotel rooms, 25,000 residents and more than 100 shops and restaurants. For more information visit www.lakenona.com.