Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gardens in central Florida completed a very successful capital campaign in 2016. Heurista was chosen to design the recognition, manage the fabrication and installation, and create a policy document to guide future stewardship programs. The themes at Bok Tower Garden are reflections of the sculpted doors of the Tower: a bird with a branch in its beak represents major giving, a lotus flower represents annual giving, an owl represents planned giving and acorns represents membership. Heurista commissioned a hand-sculpted medallion created by Portfolio Metals that enlarged the Tree of Life detail from the tower’s famous brass doors that is presented alongside a motivational quote from Edward Bok as a greeting to all visitors.

Outcomes

  • As requested by leadership at Bok Tower Gardens, the design motfis for donor recognition were taken from the historic doors of the Tower itself. Each emblem was sculpted as an homage to the original but with modfications to make it useful under various circumstances. Likewise, the choice of font and the use of all capital letters reflect decisions made in the detailing of the original Bok Tower Gardens design aesthetic.

  • Bok Tower Gardens is a historic landmark. The singing carillon tower and surrounding gardens were a gift from founder and philanthropist Edward W. Bok. Designed by architect Milton B. Medary, the tower features the finest design and craftsmanship of the period, including stonework by Lee Lawrie, tiles by J.H. Dulles Allen and metalwork by Samuel Yellin. The 60-bell carillon is one of the finest in the world. The gardens were designed by the renowned landscape architect Frank Law Olmstead, Jr.

    The Campaign for Bok Tower Gardens, completed in 2016, focused on the need for broad-based philanthropic support to secure these treasures and prepare new generations of visitors. Projects included preservation of the carillon archives, accessibility and relevancy to a broader visitor base. Even as new buildings and gardens became part of the visitor experience, there was a strong desire to maintain the original sensibilities of the tower and gardens. As explained by executive director, David Price, there is a specific character to the beauty of Bok Tower Gardens. Maintaining that aesthetic was a fundamental aspect of Heurista’s assignment.

    In that spirit, every component we added in recognition of donors to the campaign had to reflect the character of the original design work. 

    A cast bronze plaque presents the list of campaign donors and is situated on a centrally-located wall so that future campaigns can be recognized there as well. All of the recognition is modest in size and materials and finely crafted–in keeping with the ethos of fine craftsmanship for which Bok Tower Gardens is known.

  • The program of signs for area naming reflects the materials indicative of Bok Tower Gardens: Jerusalem stone, bronze and themes from the tower doors. Each plaque is custom cast using centuries-old techniques and hand-finished to match the historic elements of the original features of Bok Tower Gardens.

  • Exterior area naming signage at Bok Tower Gardens

    Bronze plaques reflect the craftsmanship of the original features of the garden

  • Outdoor kitchen area naming plaque

    Plaques were hand finished and placed on Jerusalem stone walls through the garden

  • Detail of the Tree of Life icon at the entry to Bok Tower Gardens

    The Tree of Life and medallions are a recreation based on the historic doors to the Tower

  • Detail of The Campaign for Bok Tower Gardens donor recognition plaque

    The campaign plaque integrates the branded graphics of the campaign

  • Campaign plaque on a building wall

    The campaign plaque will be joined by recognition for subsequent campaigns

“Heurista contributed to our goals of achieving greater relevance within the community, especially in terms of communicating the impact made possible through our donors with clarity and consistency.”

— Joan Thomas, Director of Philanthropy