The Orlando
City Council gives final approval to the winning city-flag design that depicts Lake Eola Park’s signature fountain gushing into a clear sky.
Five months after the city of Orlando launched a contest to design its new flag, the City Council on Monday gave final approval to the winning design that depicts Lake Eola Park’s signature fountain gushing into a clear sky.
“I happen to love the new flag design,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “More importantly, I love the process that we used to get to the new city flag.”
The fountain design was the odds-on favorite almost from the start — in an online ballot, its tally outpaced the secondplace finisher by more than 500 votes — and survived concerns that it resembled a pineapple or a whale to win the support of city leaders.
The winning flag was submitted by Tim Eggert, a University of Central Florida graduate and graphic designer for Orlando engineering firm Kimley-Horn. The Winter Park resident’s design emerged from more than 1,100 contest submissions, officials said.
“I entered not thinking I would win … that wasn’t the goal,” Eggert said. “It was more [that] I’m from Orlando, I’m proud of Orlando and I wanted to support Orlando.”
The flag depicts the fountain’s base with six equal segments, representing the city’s six commission districts. It is surrounded by an arch reflected in the water to form an “O.”
An official description said the “O” represents “unity, connectivity and timelessness,” while its yellow color represents “sunshine, hope and happiness.” The water reflection represents “careful consideration of our past and our bold vision for the future.”
“I love all the symbolism that’s in the flag, and I think it’s going to be iconic and people will want to display that flag,” Dyer said.
Monday’s vote came after months of debate and design tweaks.
The city launched its call for submissions Feb. 15, eventually collecting designs from seven countries, 12 states and five local schools, officials said. A committee of experts later culled 10 finalists, which were published on the city’s website for an online vote.
Though the fountain flag finished first, the committee wasn’t satisfied with the design in its original form. It and other top vote-getters were revised as the panel whittled it down to four contenders.
Those designs were made into prototypes — donated for free to the city by Flag World on Virginia Drive — and toured for two weeks to various community centers, City Hall and Lake Eola Park, while the city gathered more public feedback in person and online.
The Flag Design Review Committee, a panel of volunteers tasked with recommending a final design, met six times before making a choice. Some on the panel thought the flag should be symbolic, rather than depicting a real-world
“I love all the symbolism that’s in the flag, and I think it’s going to be iconic and people will want to display that flag.” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer
landmark.
The fountain’s popularity with the public won out.
The city’s previous flag, which was also the product of a design competition, had flown above government buildings in Orlando since June 1980. It also featured the Lake Eola fountain prominently, flanked by nondescript buildings, trees and the words “City of Orlando.”
The new flag features no words and only three colors, in keeping with the standards of the North American Vexillological Association — a group dedicated to the study of flag — which the city used as a guide.
Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan cast the sole vote against the new flag. She argued the design should have incorporated the city’s logo, which features a different stylized depiction of the fountain. The committee considered that but decided the flag and logo should be different.
“While I love the fountain design, I think we should be more consistent with our existing city logo,” Sheehan said.
The flag is not Eggert’s first contribution to public art in Orlando. He also painted a sunset on a utility box at Mills Avenue and Amelia Street as part of the Mills 50 Main Street District’s Art Boxes program.