Marine Stadium Floating Stage Design Contest

For more information on the competition, please contact the following:

Joachim Perez , Executive Director Don Worth, Co-Founder
DawnTown Miami Friends of Miami Marine
Stadium
dawntownmiami1@gmail.com
dontonton@gmail.com
Website: www.Dawntown.org
Website: www.marinestadium.org
DawnTown's Awards Ceremony for Floating Stage Design Contest
On Monday, May 2, 2011

Winners Will Be Announced During Awards Dinner
At the Rusty Pelican Restaurant on Virginia Key


Miami, FL-DawnTown, the annual
International architectural competition, announces that the awards Ceremony
for the Miami Marine Stadium Floating Stage Design Competition will be held
Monday evening, May 2 at the Rusty Pelican restaurant on Virginia Key.

The event will feature a display of all of the contest entries as well as
the announcement of the winner and semi-finalists. There will also be a
keynote speech by Frank E. Sanchis III, the Director of the U.S. Programs
for the World Monuments Fund. Tickets for the event, which includes a sit
down three course dinner, are only $30. Viewing of the entries and cocktail
hour will begin at 5:30 PM, dinner will be at 6:30 PM, and the Awards
Ceremony and keynote presentation begins at 7:30 PM.

This year's competition seeks creative architectural ideas for the design of
a floating stage to complement the Miami Marine Stadium. The Miami Marine
Stadium, located on Virginia Key just five minutes from downtown Miami, has
become an internationally recognized icon - now slated for renovation by the
City of Miami and a key priority of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado.

The contest, announced in January, has drawn significant attention. "We're
delighted with the response" said Joachim Perez, Executive Director of
DawnTown. "We're seeing more entries than we have compared to other contests
we have run, and there is a lot of international interest as well."

Built in 1963, the 6,566 seat Miami Marine Stadium has played an important
role in the City's cultural history. Originally built for boat racing, it
also hosted many Concerts, Easter Sunrise Services, Television Shows,
Political Rallies, and Boxing Matches - all from a floating stage that was
towed directly in front of the Stadium. During performances, the Stadium
became an "aquatic theatre in the round" -surrounded by the many boats
attending the events. The Miami Marine Stadium was shuttered by the City of
Miami after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 (though there was no hurricane damage)
and has remained closed ever since.

In 2008, a new organization called Friends of Marine Stadium was formed
under the aegis of Dade Heritage Trust, Miami-Dade County's foremost
historic preservation organization. The Friends group has successfully
focused national and international attention on the structure. The Stadium
is now considered an architectural gem. Designated Historic by the City of
Miami, the stadium has achieved international recognition through inclusion
on the 2009 "11 Most Endangered List" of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation and the 2010 Watch List of the World Monuments Fund. Even
singer Jimmy Buffett, who performed many concerts there, taped a public
service video endorsing restoration of the Marine Stadium. .

DawnTown is fortunate to have Hilario Candela on the judging panel. Candela
designed the Stadium at age 28 and is now a leader in the efforts to restore
it almost a half century later. "I look forward to receiving the proposed
entries to the competition" said Candela, "This is an opportunity to think
outside the box, but with a real project."

The complete Jury for the DawnTown 2011 Floating Stage design competition
includes:

Hilario Candela, Architect of the Miami Marine Stadium in1963
Walter Meyer, Principal of Local Office Landscape Architect
Jorge Hernandez, Architect and Co-Founder of Friends of Miami Marine Stadium
Michele Oka Doner, Internationally recognized Artist
Lawrence Scarpa, Principal of Brooks + Scarpa
Frank Sanchis, Director of U.S. Programs of the World Monument Fund

"We are thrilled with the Floating Stage Design contest" said Don Worth,
Co-Founder of the Friends of Marine Stadium, "This is an 'ideas' contest and
we are hoping to see some great creative concepts that will foster as many
different types of events and viewing experiences as possible." The Friends
group is helping to sponsor the contest awards, along with Miami Chapter of
the American Institute of Architects, the National Trust for Historic
Preservation and Dade Heritage Trust.

Tickets for the event must be purchased by April 25. For more information
and to purchase tickets, call Dade Heritage Trust, 305-358-9572