‘Radiant’ Diatom
Cortada was commissioned to create permanent public art installations at Florida Turnpike’s Turkey Lake plaza. Conceptually, he wanted to track a day in the life across the Sunshine State. He placed huge diatom-clad sunrays rise above the Northbound entrance on the east side of the Turkey Lake plaza to depict sunrise. The rays set above the Southbound entrance on the west to depict sunset. The life-giving diatoms appear as circles on the ceiling at the center of the building– at high noon.