Kobi Karp and Romero Britto

From the vibrant, bold neon lights that dress the Art Deco buildings of South Beach to the towering structures of downtown, Miami prides itself on the architecture and public art that visitors can find throughout its distinct neighborhoods.

The once-forgotten area of Wynwood—previously known only as a humble warehouse district—was recently named by TripAdvisor as the trendiest neighborhood in the country; boasting an ever-changing outdoor street art museum featuring some of the most significant street artists in the world.

Just north of its unique collection of murals and graffiti lies a striking example of state-of-the-art urban design: The Design District. Here, art integrates with incredible architecture created by globally renowned artists and architects.

An example of such rests in the recently unveiled Museum Garage—gravity-defying parking structures that add to the beauty instead of cutting into it. The structure is an 800-car parking garage designed by a curator who designated four renowned archectrual firms and two famous artists, in a collaboration where art and architecture promise to stupefy you!

The world’s recognition of Miami’s art and architecture are accredited to two talented individuals who, came to the city in the late 1980’s, at the height of Miami’s notoriety as a hotbed for crime. Their collaborative works took notice, and soon “Paradise Lost” of Miami (As Time magazine said of Miami’s infamous Cocaine Cowboys and Mariel Boatlift) went back to becoming the beautiful metropolis known and loved today.

Beginning with South Beach’s fantasyland architecture of candy-colored buildings adorned in neon, developers were soon re-investing in the new American Rivera, and the man that everyone soon went to was Kobi Karp, Miami’s renowned architect.

As he developed the plans, he included a young aspiring artist, Romero Britto. His inspiration was the unique colors of Miami Beach and city, big blue skies, turquoise waters, bright red-orange sunsets, and pale white sands. He translated the tropical climate and beauty of Miami into his art using vibrant colors and eye-catching patterns.

Kobi Karp

Originally from Israel, Karp moved with his family to Minneapolis as a child and attended the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology, where he earned degrees in architecture and environmental design. In 1995, he founded the Firm with over 80 architects, interior designers that, as a team, have had developers spend in access of 50 billion.

Romero Britto

Born in Recife, Northeast side of Brazil, Britto lived an extremely modest childhood while growing up among a big family of eight brothers and sisters. However, Britto’s innate creativity allowed him to fill his life with images of a bigger and more beautiful world beyond his own. Self-taught at an early age, he painted what he saw and what he imagined on surfaces such as newspapers, cardboard or any scraps that he could find. Arriving to Miami in 1989, Britto’s first major project was being commissioned by Absolut Vodka, soon the world took notice and the rest is history.

Karp’s inspiration was the same iconic MIMO imagery that can only be found in Miami and Miami Beach. There is nowhere else in the United States where one finds subtropical weather, bright pastel colors and an influx of languages and immigrants, that contribute with the colors and flavors to the uniqueness of these two cities. In Miami, there’s no passport needed to absorb the magical and colorful landscape!

The team of Karp and Britto flourished throughout the 1990’s, and by the 21st century there was not a neighborhood one drove through without encountering Britto’s art or a Karp structure. Among the most famous and memorable combination of both minds, a Karp and Britto building that still stands today is an example of this exciting time of revival.

One of Karp and Britto’s first collaboration was Los Suenos, an affordable housing high-rise community consisting of 170 units. Conveniently located between I-95 and midtown Miami, Los Suenos was built in 2003. It served as the gateway to the cities of Miami

The friendship made two decades ago continues today in a brotherhood of admiration and respect.

and Miami Beach, but with the gentrification of the neighborhood, it now serves as the gateway to both the Design District and Wynwood Arts District.

Karp wanted art in his buildings that jumped out to the community, not sedentary in the lobbies or entrances of the structures. Britto did just that when he created a breathtaking four-story sculpture “Girl Gone Shopping”, adorned on the façade of Los Suenos, and to this day still stands as a visual icon for Miami.

I asked Britto on a visit to the photo shoot with Karp, “When Kobi asked you to create an amazing work of art for Section 8 housing in a blue-collar neighborhood, did you hesitate?” At the time, Kobi was envisioning this new idea, and Britto was being commissioned by the rich and famous—he would’ve continued fine without undertaking this iconic project.

Britto answered, “Not for a second. I’d rather walk in the dark with a friend, than alone in the light.”

The friendship made two decades ago continues today in a brotherhood of admiration and respect.

There are rumors of a new collaboration between Karp and Britto. Karp is the architect of the newest massive mix of residential, office, and commercial retail structure, Wynwood 25, which takes up an entire city block. Entering Wynwood, one cannot miss the large construction site, as Wynwood 25 hovers over the most famous cultural destination in Miami, the Wynwood Art District, directly in front of the famous Wynwood Walls. Rumor has it Britto may be creating the most phenomenal work of art yet for another signature Karp design. We anxiously await to see what happens, but you didn’t hear it from me! ¨

About the author: Susana Baker is an award-winning Tourator (historian tour guide/ art curator). Creative Founder of The Art Experience, the number one company in South Florida to privately curate group or individuals through Miami’s Art Districts. Winning the distinguished “Certificate of Excellence for 2015” by TripAdvisor. For a private curated tour of the Design District, Wynwood, Little Havana or South Beach go to www.theartexperiences.com or for Art Basel go to www.artbaseltours.com or call 305-767-5000. Listen to ARTtalk by Susana Baker on national radio, 880 AM or listen live at www.880thebiz.com, “Miami’s only radio show that brings the best from the red carpet to the canvas!” Contact: Colls Fine Art Photography, Armando Colls 305-903-7786, www.CollsFineArtPhotography.com

By Susana Baker