As Miami is preparing itself for the Miami Design Week and the Miami Art Week in December, we’re looking at the city’s skyline. Although the Magic City already has the third-largest skyline in the US with more than 300 high-rises (the tallest of which is the Panorama Tower, measuring 265 metres in hight), more are coming soon. As the race for Miami’s highest building is on, below are 5 skyscrapers soon to be added to its skyline.
1. Waldorf Astoria Miami
Sieger Suarez Architects and architect Carlos Ott are collaborating on this Waldorf Astoria building, set to be completed in 2028. The skyscraper will count no less than 100 storeys and should measure just under 320 metres in hight, thereby having the chance to become Miami’s first supertalll skyscraper. It will be located in downtown Miami, consisting of nine stacked cubes, wrapped in a “glass skin”.
“The concept was to make an iconic sculpture that defied the laws of gravity situating the different blocks in different positions, which in addition created unique views from each space,” Carlos Ott said in 2022. “The very slender volume requires a central core to deal with torsion caused by the strong winds of the area.”
The interior of the building will be designed by San Francisco-based interiors studio Bamo. The skyscraper will, aside from the hotel, house a 10-storey parking space, restaurants, a spa and several meeting spaces.
2. 888 Brickell
The other building striving to become Miami’s first supertall skyscraper is 888 Brickell. Designed by fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana in collaboration with New York architecture firm Studio Sofield, it is set to become the fashion company’s first branded residency.
As the name might suggest, the building will be located in the Brickell neighbourhood in downtown Miami and will count 90 storeys upon completion. Inside, 259 Dolce & Gabbana-designed residences will find their place alongside restaurants, bars, event spaces, a fitness centre and a pool deck.
The exterior of the building is the result of the collab between the fashion brand and Studio Sofield. Black steel, travertine and gold details create a very modernist, mid-century inspired design, referring back to Dolce & Gabbana’s Milanese roots. The interiors of the building, designed by Milan studio M2Atelier, will be just as recognisable. Dark marbles, golden highlights and animal print details will live side-to-side.
“The designs epitomise the fashion house’s commitment to sourcing ‘fatto a mano’ (handmade) and well-considered materials in a perfect meeting of Italianate and Miami glamour and grace. The signature hues of Dolce & Gabbana – black, gold, and red – are expertly interwoven into the interior design, culminating in a luxurious and cohesive ambience”, M2Atelier commented earlier this year.
3. Mercedes-Benz Places
Another branded skyscraper set to come to the Miami skyline is Mercedes-Benz Places. It will be the car brand’s first branded skyscraper and will, just like 888 Brickell, also be located in the Brickell neighbourhood. However, that’s about as far as the similarities with the Dolce & Gabbana building go. Mercedes-Benz Places was created in collaboration with SHoP Architects and is supposed to deliver a sense of “sensual purity”.
“Our distinctive style is Sensual Purity,” commented Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gordan Wagener. “This philosophy, based on the duality of emotion and intelligence, consists of a hot and a cool pole. The emotional side of Sensual Purity is characterised by free-flowing, elliptical lines and shapes inspired by nature.”
The outside of the building, composed of multiple volumes and showcasing endless curved corners, seems to somehow be reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz’ car design roots. The silver, black and white colour way points in the same direction, as does the brand’s logo that will be visible at the entrance of the skyscraper.
Inside, the tower will host no less than 791 Mercedes-Benz branded residences, some of which are studios, other multiple-bedroom condos. Offices, fitness facilities, a hotel, shops and other amenities will complete the set-up.
4. Aman Miami Beach
Luxury hospitality brand Aman teamed up with Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma and Associates to create the studio’s first residential tower in the United States. The 18-storey building will be located on the oceanfront and house 23 private condos.
In order to somehow blend in with its natural setting while still making an architectural statement, the skyscraper will be clad in wood lattice and the underside of each floor will be clad in wood as well. The entire building will be asymmetrical and organic in shape to further underline the natural feeling.
Inside, wood will be present too, as will be other typically Japanese materials such as paper washi screens. All bathrooms will be equipped with Japanese spa-like amenities for an extra luxurious feel.
“Aman Miami Beach will redefine the rapidly growing Nouveau skyline and forge a new relationship between the land, ocean and the unique atmosphere and vibrant personality of the surrounding Faena district”, the hospitality group said.
5. Bentley Residences
Mercedes-Benz is not the only car brand to be venting into branded residencies in Miami. Bentley is developing its first branded residential project in the US, in collaboration with Sieger Suarez Architects and Dezer Development.
The most intriguing part of the Bentley Residences will be the car elevator. Every unit inside the skyscraper will have multiple garages attached directly to them. Those garages can be reached by taking one of the four lifts on the ground floor, which will take the driver and their vehicle directly to the relevant floor. The car elevator was thought of by Sieger Suarez Architects and patented by Dezer Development as the Dezervator. As the lower levels of the elevator will be enclosed in glass walls, passengers will be able to look at the surroundings from above while looking out of their car window.
Aside from the car elevator, the rest of the building has been thoughtfully designed too. The whole skyscraper and the individual apartments are all oval-shaped, resulting in an endless amount of glass walls and extensive balconies.
“I designed the plans of the units, but Gil [Dezer] had the idea to use and feature diamond glass for the skin of the building. It has been a lengthy process,” said Charles Sieger. “The diamond-shaped glass wraps the sides of the building. It allows each large patio to have a layer of glass instead of the railing overlapping the balcony to protect you from the wind.”
