Art Ovation Hotel
The Art Ovation Hotel is positioned in a central location in downtown Sarasota serving as a connector between cultural institutions, restaurants, and locally-owned shops. The challenge for the design of this boutique hotel was to create a space that would appeal to local residents and travelers in search of an authentic Sarasota experience while also enhancing a vibrant public streetscape. Conceived as a companion piece to the Palm Avenue Garage, the goal was to embrace a complementary modern aesthetic and extend the pedestrian-flow of Palm and Cocoanut Avenues as they transition away from Main Street.
In order to achieve these goals, the architect, Jonathan Parks, AIA, prioritized the building’s context within the city center, considered the user experience, emphasized design and functionality, and focused on implementing craft and quality of construction.
The Art Ovation Hotel was completed in 2018 but the vision for this project began with the architect designing the adjacent parking garage nearly a decade prior. The City of Sarasota originally constructed the Palm Avenue Garage to incentivize a hotel on the adjacent property. At the time, there were no hotels in the urban core, and hotel developers insisted that travelers only came to Sarasota for the beaches and a new downtown hotel wouldn’t attract guests. The garage was completed during the Great Recession, but the hotel site would remain undeveloped for many years.
Recognizing the vibrancy and cultural identity inherent of Sarasota, the architect envisioned a hotel completely dedicated to the arts that would extend the artistic experience. Combining the city-owned land and personally optioning the privately-owned adjacent corner parcel, the architect then interviewed developers and brought on a locally-based development company who believed in the architect’s arts-oriented, design-focused vision.
Where many buildings are designed on a site to maximize buildable square footage without much consideration for the surrounding context, the design for the Art Ovation Hotel purposefully reduced density and height in order to respect the existing scale along the neighboring cultural corridor which includes outdoor dining, music venues, the Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theatre, and art galleries.
The form of the building aligns with Palm Avenue and then curves north along Cocoanut. This design gesture connects these two main cross streets as one urban form and has become unlike any other intersection in downtown Sarasota.
The architect positioned the urban form of the building to create wide and usable sidewalks. Along the intersection of Cocoanut Avenue and Second Street, the mass of the building is dramatically rescaled in order to align with the existing two-story neighboring structures. The new hotel complements the adjacent Palm Avenue Garage in color, form, and geometry – a “spinnaker” to the garage’s “sails”. A free form skybridge directly connects to the garage so guests can easily walk from their parked cars into the building – completely under cover. The form of the skybridge is an abstract nod to the neighboring mid-century Sarasota School of Architecture building across Palm Avenue.
The architect aimed to elevate the user experience from the moment of arrival. The addition of curving shade/rain canopies along both Palm and Cocoanut Avenues protect pedestrians and sidewalk café dining. The floating entry valet canopy along Cocoanut is cantilevered over the roadway and sidewalk providing additional protection and a sense of arrival. The curving hotel lobby space follows the design gesture of the building facade that appears to lift the six-story structure on a “ribbon of light”.
It’s evident from the moment guests walk in to the art-filled lobby lounge that Art Ovation captures the infectious creative spirit of the city center. This all-day space is designed for both comfort and aesthetic appeal, where guests can mingle and enjoy food and beverages, live entertainment, and the hotel’s original art collection and curated gallery exhibitions. The space welcomes artists-in-residence to create new works on display and interact with guests. The first level also includes a state-of-the-art restaurant, vibrant bar area, an over 6,000 sq. ft. ballroom event space, and separate meeting areas.
Even the 162 guestrooms conjure the city’s artistic heritage and vitality. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring in natural light, modern furnishings create an unembellished aesthetic, and high ceilings create a feeling of spaciousness. Each room contains sketchbooks, ukuleles, and curated artwork through a partnership with the Ringling College of Art and Design.
As part of the appeal of the hotel for both local residents and guests, the architect wanted to reclaim the rooftop as a public gathering space similar to an elevated urban park in the middle of Sarasota. The vibrancy of this gathering space was directly tied to the idea that the reduced density and height of the hotel would give people the feeling of being connected to the streetscape. By designing the public spaces to work together via sight, sound, and scale, the rooftop destination provides a unique sense of place.
The Art Ovation Hotel was designed to take advantage of its downtown Sarasota location in terms of connectivity, walkability, and sustainability. One of the main goals of the hotel was to transform visitors arriving via vehicles into pedestrians as quickly as possible. The design of the building connects visitors via a drop-off canopy on one side and a skybridge on the other. These connection points are then extended into the hotel lobby, engaging and promoting walkability within the hotel itself and the broader downtown core. This gives visitors a range of transportation options including walking, cycling, and public transit. The architect made every effort to minimize the number of on-site parking spaces and reduce the visual impact by moving the code-required spaces to the backside of the project. The main entrance to the hotel along Palm Avenue was designed for pedestrians while those arriving by car have been directed to enter along Cocoanut Avenue which is a secondary street.
Sustainability was a key component in the design and construction of Art Ovation Hotel. The path of the sun was studied to bring natural daylighting into rooms, hallways, and the main lobby. A well-insulated building envelope is achieved with R-30 exterior walls and R-40 ceiling, also increasing sound absorption. Energy efficient windows and doors were installed. Low flow plumbing fixtures save water. Rainwater is collected from the rooftop ‘urban park’ and directed into a 100,000-gallon subterranean water cistern located beneath the skybridge. Low VOC paints, sealants and finishes were specified. The Florida friendly landscape features native plant species and drought tolerant plants. Bikes are provided to hotel guests and encourage an alternative to cars. Positioned within the city center, public parks and transportation are within walking distance.
The result is a true reflection of the Sarasota experience, embracing art and connecting travelers to the local community.
Photo credit: Dylan Jon Wade Cox, Rick Wade
In order to achieve these goals, the architect, Jonathan Parks, AIA, prioritized the building’s context within the city center, considered the user experience, emphasized design and functionality, and focused on implementing craft and quality of construction.
The Art Ovation Hotel was completed in 2018 but the vision for this project began with the architect designing the adjacent parking garage nearly a decade prior. The City of Sarasota originally constructed the Palm Avenue Garage to incentivize a hotel on the adjacent property. At the time, there were no hotels in the urban core, and hotel developers insisted that travelers only came to Sarasota for the beaches and a new downtown hotel wouldn’t attract guests. The garage was completed during the Great Recession, but the hotel site would remain undeveloped for many years.
Recognizing the vibrancy and cultural identity inherent of Sarasota, the architect envisioned a hotel completely dedicated to the arts that would extend the artistic experience. Combining the city-owned land and personally optioning the privately-owned adjacent corner parcel, the architect then interviewed developers and brought on a locally-based development company who believed in the architect’s arts-oriented, design-focused vision.
Where many buildings are designed on a site to maximize buildable square footage without much consideration for the surrounding context, the design for the Art Ovation Hotel purposefully reduced density and height in order to respect the existing scale along the neighboring cultural corridor which includes outdoor dining, music venues, the Sarasota Opera, Florida Studio Theatre, and art galleries.
The form of the building aligns with Palm Avenue and then curves north along Cocoanut. This design gesture connects these two main cross streets as one urban form and has become unlike any other intersection in downtown Sarasota.
The architect positioned the urban form of the building to create wide and usable sidewalks. Along the intersection of Cocoanut Avenue and Second Street, the mass of the building is dramatically rescaled in order to align with the existing two-story neighboring structures. The new hotel complements the adjacent Palm Avenue Garage in color, form, and geometry – a “spinnaker” to the garage’s “sails”. A free form skybridge directly connects to the garage so guests can easily walk from their parked cars into the building – completely under cover. The form of the skybridge is an abstract nod to the neighboring mid-century Sarasota School of Architecture building across Palm Avenue.
The architect aimed to elevate the user experience from the moment of arrival. The addition of curving shade/rain canopies along both Palm and Cocoanut Avenues protect pedestrians and sidewalk café dining. The floating entry valet canopy along Cocoanut is cantilevered over the roadway and sidewalk providing additional protection and a sense of arrival. The curving hotel lobby space follows the design gesture of the building facade that appears to lift the six-story structure on a “ribbon of light”.
It’s evident from the moment guests walk in to the art-filled lobby lounge that Art Ovation captures the infectious creative spirit of the city center. This all-day space is designed for both comfort and aesthetic appeal, where guests can mingle and enjoy food and beverages, live entertainment, and the hotel’s original art collection and curated gallery exhibitions. The space welcomes artists-in-residence to create new works on display and interact with guests. The first level also includes a state-of-the-art restaurant, vibrant bar area, an over 6,000 sq. ft. ballroom event space, and separate meeting areas.
Even the 162 guestrooms conjure the city’s artistic heritage and vitality. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring in natural light, modern furnishings create an unembellished aesthetic, and high ceilings create a feeling of spaciousness. Each room contains sketchbooks, ukuleles, and curated artwork through a partnership with the Ringling College of Art and Design.
As part of the appeal of the hotel for both local residents and guests, the architect wanted to reclaim the rooftop as a public gathering space similar to an elevated urban park in the middle of Sarasota. The vibrancy of this gathering space was directly tied to the idea that the reduced density and height of the hotel would give people the feeling of being connected to the streetscape. By designing the public spaces to work together via sight, sound, and scale, the rooftop destination provides a unique sense of place.
The Art Ovation Hotel was designed to take advantage of its downtown Sarasota location in terms of connectivity, walkability, and sustainability. One of the main goals of the hotel was to transform visitors arriving via vehicles into pedestrians as quickly as possible. The design of the building connects visitors via a drop-off canopy on one side and a skybridge on the other. These connection points are then extended into the hotel lobby, engaging and promoting walkability within the hotel itself and the broader downtown core. This gives visitors a range of transportation options including walking, cycling, and public transit. The architect made every effort to minimize the number of on-site parking spaces and reduce the visual impact by moving the code-required spaces to the backside of the project. The main entrance to the hotel along Palm Avenue was designed for pedestrians while those arriving by car have been directed to enter along Cocoanut Avenue which is a secondary street.
Sustainability was a key component in the design and construction of Art Ovation Hotel. The path of the sun was studied to bring natural daylighting into rooms, hallways, and the main lobby. A well-insulated building envelope is achieved with R-30 exterior walls and R-40 ceiling, also increasing sound absorption. Energy efficient windows and doors were installed. Low flow plumbing fixtures save water. Rainwater is collected from the rooftop ‘urban park’ and directed into a 100,000-gallon subterranean water cistern located beneath the skybridge. Low VOC paints, sealants and finishes were specified. The Florida friendly landscape features native plant species and drought tolerant plants. Bikes are provided to hotel guests and encourage an alternative to cars. Positioned within the city center, public parks and transportation are within walking distance.
The result is a true reflection of the Sarasota experience, embracing art and connecting travelers to the local community.
Photo credit: Dylan Jon Wade Cox, Rick Wade
Project Year: 2018
Project Cost: More than $2,000,000
