Client: Embassy Suites

Overview

Architectural/Engineering group looked for Hotel Entry piece for the Embassy Suites, Sarasota, Fl.  Flying down from Montreal I met with the owners, architects, engineers where I took a photo of myself in the site as the Vitruvian Woman for scale.  They were in the first stages of plumbing and electric.  Needing to understand Octopus, I flew to Kea, Greece, for three months for research creating 50 drawings. I flew to New Hampshire to work with ColorCo in Merrimack, NH. The five panel piece took 4 months to complete using my drawings and digital scanning. I had constant contact with the architects of Walter Parker and the engineers on the progress of the electric and plumbing needed for the fountain. This work is 25 ft Long x 12 ft High x 8 ft deep. It’s made of steel, aluminum, glass, water, cement, rebar, electricity, resin.

Goals

Walter Parker designed an exquisite hotel of glass. My work was to reflect their integrity. We worked together as I sent them drawings and ideas from Greece until we reached our final decision. The building is one block from the waterfront and in the same area as the Mote Marine and Laboratory. My goal was to integrate a sleek modern marine design that would compliment the Walter Parker design and catch the public's eye from the sidewalk. Bridges, the five star restaurant on the upper floor, gets many clients that have come just to see the huge Glass Mosaic Octopus Fountain. "Spiradoula the Octopus" is on the Sarasota Ringling City Walk.

Additional Information

This project went on for three years. There were budget problems, supply problems, engineering problems but I never gave up nor stopped working. Going in front of the Public Art judges with my idea of a huge Octopus was just the beginning. I weathered all of the inconsistencies and finished and delivered my project ahead of time and on budget as architect Brent Parker will proudly attest.