Downtown’s Iconic Miami Tower Has Sold for $220 Million

The Miami Tower, an icon of the Downtown Miami skyline since its construction in 1987 to designs by starchitect I.M. Pei, has been sold to the Simitomo Corporation of America, for $220 million. The tall, slender wedge of a building is sheathed in glossy white and mirrored stripes, and puts on elaborate lighting displays nightly with a system of LEDs. (they recently replaced the original floodlights) Always a big visual statement on Downtown’s ambitions to be an au courante urban core, the Miami Tower had a series of owners over the years, and a series of names. It originally was home to to the il-fated Centrust Savings & Loan, and to some will probably always be remembered by its original name, the Centrust Tower.

Inside Jacob Brillhart’s Subtropical Modern Miami River Home

Inspired by a synthesis of the most iconic and minimal of ‘High Modernist’ houses (think of Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson’s Glass House) and the subtropical vernacular of a hot and humid climate, Miami architect Jacob Brillhart designed and built his dream home in Spring Garden, one of Miami’s oldest neighborhoods. The neighborhood and the house are both tucked in a tiny peninsula poking out into the Miami River.

Having completed the house a year or two ago (for much more on the Brillhart House and its design, check out his portfolio) and settled in with the family, the Brillharts opened it to the public over the weekend for Our House, “unique design and retail initiative,” as the invitation put it, with furniture, art, and design pieces all for sale, accompanied by a lecture and workshops.

Inside the warm-but-restrained, modernist vessel for living was a colorful smorgasbord of design, with just the perfect amount of well-selected clutter to make it feel cozy. Outside again, Jacob had another surprise: a half-built movable wooden vacation home, which he’s building in his back yard. It’s designed to be disassembled into a flat-pack and shipped to Eleuthera, in the Bahamas, where a gorgeous beach-front lot is waiting for it.

Aventura Mall’s New Wing Designed by Carlos Zapata is Going Vertical

Aventura Mall New Wing, designed by Carlos Zapata.

Since news first broke a few years ago of Turnberry Associates‘ plans to undertake yet another massive expansion of Aventura Mall, officially making it the second largest shopping mall in the country, the new wing has been redesigned, and construction has begun to emerge from the ground. The Next Miami has some site photographs, and points out the building has ‘gone vertical’ (meaning construction is now above ground level), typically a more significant milestone for much taller buildings which need deeper foundations to be laid underground first.

The design of the new wing has been completely transformed compared to earlier schematics, which were of a much simpler enclosed mall layout, with skylights and an exterior oriented toward a new garage and various driveways. The new plan, by architect Carlos Zapata, is sleek, steely, and futuristic, with flying cantilevered awnings shooting out at jaunty angles, tons of glass, high ceilings, and a completely outward orientation. Shoppers stroll on bridges spanning a lower shopping area with a driveway artfully cut through. An exterior court ringed with shops and restaurants is the futuristic counterweight to Aventura Mall’s more traditional piazza area. That outdoor space, near Cheesecake Factory and the movie theater, has sunny pink stucco, Spanish tiles everywhere, terra-cotta barrel tiles on the roof, and an aqua blue statue of seahorses holding up some kind of orb.

A press release goes into more detail:

Aventura Mall has launched construction on a major expansion that will include a new three-level, 315,000 square-foot retail wing and multi-level parking garage.

The new wing, which is expected to open in late 2017, will include several destination restaurants, more than three dozen retail stores, a new food court with indoor/outdoor seating and a rooftop garden, and VIP concierge area perfect for private dinners and events.

Designed by renowned architect Carlos Zapata and JPRA Architects, the new wing will be built on the east side of the property, near Macy’s. The structure will blend seamlessly with Aventura Mall’s existing architecture but also provide a completely unique experience for visitors. The contemporary space will blur the lines between inside and outside with an immense glass façade and a skylight that extends the entire length of the concourse. The design will provide an abundance of natural light and panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Outdoor courtyards will be ideal for dining and people watching, and select pieces from local and international artists such as Wendell Castle and Mark Handforth will spark conversation.

One River Point Rendering Crush

One River Point, the ultra-luxury residential and hotel project planned for the Miami River that has Hong Kong-level service and a boat valet, just released new renderings of unit interiors, showing off mighty deal balconies, vast great rooms, and views that seductively mix water and city. Other renderings, most of which are older but just as sexy, show the project’s twin towers connected by a gigantic bridge and private club floating in the sky, a huge waterfall, the main pool, and the exterior from various angles. Designed by starchitect Rafael Viñoly and developed by KAR Properties, One River Point is taking reservations at the moment. It’s also the fanciest place to hit the Miami River probably ever.

An Early Look Inside Edgewater’s Missoni Baia Tower

Atrium

Russian oligarch Vladislav Doronin, owner of the Aman resort chain, is coming to Miami in a big way just as the real estate market begins to cool down. Having already partnered with Ugo Colombo’s CMC Group on Brickell Flatiron, Doronin’s OKO Group is going solo on his next big Miami project (the first of at least three he has in the pipeline). It’s a luxury Edgewater condo tower called Missoni Baia, branded by the eponymous Italian fashion house (a trend which as the New Times noted, has become kind of a thing in Miami lately). The 146 units will be large, ranging between 2 to 4 bedrooms.

Designed by Asymptote Architecture and Revuelta, Enzo Enea is doing the landscaping and Paris Forino design is doing up the insides, at least some of which, according to the first interior rendering released, is going to be all kinds of white-on-white. Renderings of a pair of pools meanwhile, show them to be located on the west side of the building, long and slender, and lined with trees that will give a rather lovely “hey I’m swimming in an orchard” kind of a feel. Shade is good.

Those won’t be the only pools though. According to Real Deal: “Amenities will include a flow-through deck with cabanas, an Olympic-sized lap pool, hot and cold plunge pools, a children’s pool and tennis courts. Residents will also have access to an infinity-edge pool on the development’s bayfront terrace, a gym, saunas and spa treatment rooms.”

Midtown Construction Update: Walmart’s a’ Comin’

Hyde Midtown. All photos by Lucas Lechuga.

Construction at Midtown Miami is heating up, with one tower already topped off, another looking close, and a third well off the ground. Midtown 36, a residential tower with a considerable amount of ground floor retail and gallery space has topped off, while Midtown 5, which is planned to be a rental apartment tower (and thus not much info has been released) looks like it’s nearing or at top off. Finally, fresh off of having sold the hotel portion of Hyde Midtown, construction is zipping along. We thought we saw a recent announcement about the sales center closing in 90 days, but a search came up empty, so that may or may not be happening. Oh well. And then of course there’s the Midtown Walmart, a source of so much drama. Having broken ground back in January, after five months it’s still not looking like much.

Check Out the Amenities at Fisher Island’s Very Plush Palazzo Del Sol

Residents are already moving in to Fisher Island’s completed Palazzo Del Sol, where the luxurious 47 unit building is the first new residential building to be completed on the ultra-private island in ten years. Designed by Kobi Karp, with interiors by Antrobus & Ramirez, and landscaping by Enzo Enea,  Del Sol takes Fisher Island’s traditional Mediterranean Revival architecture and modernizes it as much as possible. Lines are straighter, walls are glassier, and many of the interior spaces are just massive.

In a trend reflected in many of its amenities, like the spa facilities and the residents’ lounge and aperitivo bar, Del Sol is offering in-building services that residents previously had to travel to the island’s club to take advantage of. Whereas Fisher Island has always been very secure, Del Sol is the first building on Fisher with interior lobbies and door men. You can now chose to have your workout in the fitness center downstairs from your unit, or take your golf cart to do it at the Fisher Island Club. You can have your morning coffee at the aperitivo bar, or again, take that golf cart to the club. Other amenities include private massage rooms, a beauty salon, a children’s playroom, poolside cabanas for purchase, a business center, and a movie theater.

Largely completed, Del Sol is currently fitting out two model units which are expected to be completed by August. Next door, the building’s twin, construction of Palazzo Del Luna is underway. The foundation, with an underground garage like Del Sol’s, is complete, and vertical construction is beginning. The first crane to be put in place is easily visible from the MacArthur Causeway.

Palazzo Del Sol is being exclusively sold by broker Dora Puig’s Luxe Living Realty, which Miami Condo Investments is affiliated with.

The Design District’s Jeanne Gang Condo Tower Likely to be Replaced With Shops by Oslo Firm

Sweetbird South design by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter.

The Next Miami noticed a recent submittal to the Urban Development Review Board for a new row of shops and retail at 99 NE 39th Street in the Design District, replacing the planned condominium tower designed by starchitect Jeanne Gang. The new design, by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter of Oslo, is a two-story retail structure with just under 30,000 square feet of commercial space, and is going before the UDRB because the design will encroach into public space. Just like the old Gang project, which sadly appears to be no more, the Design District Associates (the developer) is calling the project Sweetbird South.

In Miami Transit Debate, BRT Gets The Bum Rap

BRT in Cleveland. Photo via Flickr/Wyliepoon

Trying to unsnarl hellish traffic in South Miami-Dade, as well as the rest of the county, almost nobody wants buses, reports the Miami Herald. Yet, according to its advocates Bus Rapid Transit is a viable and much less expensive alternative if done right. And the South Dade Busway, which is the closest Dade County gets to Bus Rapid Transit, is seriously not done right. The New Tropic has a nice summary of what constitutes good BRT, but think of things like dedicated bus lanes, right of way for buses so they don’t have to stop at traffic lights, raised ‘stations’ for quicker embarking and debarking, prepaid fares, and other ways to make the bus experience more efficient, and well, more ‘rail-like.’

County transit planners are trying to upgrade the South Dade Busway to true BRT, but encountering major opposition from practically everyone down there, a population that feels burned by broken promises for rail. “Unless you’re talking about light rail, don’t bother coming to South Dade talking about bigger buses,” said Kionne McGhee, the state representative who led the charge against the county bus improvements. “There’s not a single pastor, a single mayor, a single city council member who is asking for bus. They’re all asking for rail.” And they don’t want a single thing built for BRT that cannot be reused for light rail in the future.

Have you taken true BRT somewhere? What did you think of it? Would it work for Miami? Leave your replies in the comments below.