As seen in Signs of the Times
The façade along the 41st street entrance and exit of the Miami Museum Garage is designed by Nicolas Buffe, a French born artist. The black and white illustrations are made with 1/2” gauge, 48” x 96” size sheets of King ColorCore®, the multi-color engravable polymer sheet.
Black and White Illustrations Made with King ColorCore
The Miami Design District is known for its sleek modern architecture, upscale interior design stores, and art galleries. It is the home of luxury fashion, celebrity-chef restaurants, and more – making it one of the world’s greatest shopping areas. The Design District surrounds visitors with some of the best architecture in the country, right down to the award-winning Museum Garage.
The seven-story building has a mix of retail spaces, public spaces, and parking for approximately 800 vehicles. Miami Museum Garage features distinctly bold and eclectic styles crafted by five artists from all over the world. The façade along the 41st street entrance and exit of the building is designed by Nicolas Buffe, a French born artist. Buffe’s intricate 2D and 3D elements are crafted from laser-cut metals and fiber resin plastic depicting elephants, gargoyles and caryatids, and stone carvings of draped figures used as pillars for Greek Revival buildings. Four 23-foot-tall sculptures stand at the entrance and exit of the garage. The black and white illustrations and parking sign are made with 1/2” gauge 48” x 96” sheets of King ColorCore® polymer sheets in black/white/black and white/black/white.
Initial Situation
A mix of designers from around the world were brought together using the exquisite corpse method (from the original French term cadavre exquis), which involves a collection of images assembled by various artists with no regard or knowledge of what the other artists have drawn, producing one image whose components don’t necessarily match, but flow together as one playful composition. Each participating artist was assigned an area and depth to build out and given free rein to create fully individual designs. The result is a unique and modern architectural version of the exquisite corpse.
Task
The artist, Nicolas Buffe, and architect, Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc. specified King ColorCore®, the multi-color engravable high-density polyethylene sheet with multiple layers of contrasting colors for the Miami Museum Garage.
Solution
King ColorCore® is a versatile multi-color engravable high-density polyethylene sheet with multiple layers of contrasting colors. It is a superior homogeneous sheet, a product of a unique state-of-the-art continuous process called Polyfusion, and manufactured to the highest standards in the industry. King ColorCore® has a matte finish on both sides of the sheet. It is environmentally stabilized to withstand the harshest outdoor conditions. King ColorCore® will not rust, delaminate or rot when exposed to UV, humidity or water. King ColorCore® is made with high-impact-resistant polymer to handle more abuse than conventional sign materials. Its thin cap layers and bright primary colors make it ideal for signage, marine, playground and recreational applications. For maximum versatility, standard colors are made to coordinate with King ColorBoard®. The polymer sheet never needs painting or refinishing, works like wood and it is easy to fabricate using common woodworking tools and techniques. The material is easy to engrave and machine, as the cap is approximately .050” thick.
