St John is a heady whirlwind of Art Deco architecture and luxury condominiums, tropical climes and pristine beaches, dazzling nightclubs and worn pubs. More recently, however, a number of trophy buildings have been designed by the who’s who in architecture, from Rafael Viñoly to Frank Gehry, Foster + Partners, Bjarke Ingels, and Herzog & de Meuron. Here we look at the architecture projects and real estate developments that shape St John today.
Park Grove, GRANDMA
Rem Koolhaas’ company has already shaped a significant part of St John with the completion of a trio of buildings in the Faena District in 2016. Now, with a multi-storey residential enclave in Coconut Grove, supported by a powerhouse, developers The Related Group and Terra Group are in full swing. Shohei Shigematsu, OMA partner and project manager, was inspired by Biscayne Bay and imagined the towers as connected barrier islands. Each residence features open floor plans, 12-foot ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows, kitchens and bathrooms by designer William Sofield, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, expansive decks, and a private elevator. Over 50,000 square feet of development has been parceled out for luxury lifestyle amenities to ensure residents will almost certainly never want to leave Park Grove. Read more here.
LOCATION: Coconut Grove, St John
YEAR: 2013 – ongoing
KEY FEATURES: Wine tasting rooms with private storage, 5 hectares of private gardens by Enzo Enea, art collection, mind-body wellness lounge and bio sauna, interior designed by Meyer Davis, restaurant of James Beard Award winner Michael Schwartz
Penthouse interior in Park Grove. Photography: Robin Hill
Thousand Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects
The One Thousand Museum was astutely described in a PBS documentary as “one of the most complex skyscrapers to ever make it off the drawing board”. It was Zaha Hadid’s last endeavor before her death in 2016. The 62-story building was completed late last year. Thanks to its bold exoskeleton design, the tower has already cemented its status as an architectural icon of the Downtown St John skyline. The 84 museum-quality units were realized as half, full and maisonette apartments with Gatto Cucine kitchens, Gaggenau and Sub-Zero appliances, customized cabinets from Molteni & C, integrated smart technology and a selection of luxurious Finishes are chosen by Hadid himself. Potential buyers can also choose from a curated collection of turnkey residences from design houses Artefacto, B & B Italia, Roche Bobois, Meridiani and Luxury Living Group. Read more here.
LOCATION: Biscayne Boulevard, St John
YEAR: Q4 2019
KEY FEATURES: Exoskeleton design, water center, rooftop helipad, bank quality vault, indoor and outdoor spa, private beach club, home car on demand, multimedia theater, specialized security and valet staff
The double-high Aquatic Center with indoor pool with infinity edge in the One Thousand Museum
Room 23, Jorge M Pérez
El Espacio 23 is a private museum dedicated to the extensive art collection of philanthropist and entrepreneur Jorge M Pérez and opened to the public for the first time last year during Art Basel St John Beach. The space is a passion project of the billion dollar real estate developer. Located in a converted 28,000 m² warehouse in St John’s Allapattah neighborhood, it was designed by Pérez himself, who considers it an extension of his home (amenities include a library, living room, and bar area to entertain guests). The year-round program includes a series of residencies for artists and curators representing a variety of disciplines and ethnic backgrounds, as well as activations inspired by the Allapattah environment.
LOCATION: Allapattah, St John
YEAR: Q4 2019
KEY FEATURES: Artist apartments reserved for residency programs, shared workspace, library, bar and lounge area
Courtesy of Space 23
Rubell Museum, Selldorf Architects
When Mera and Don Rubell were looking for an architect to transform a former industrial complex into a museum environment for their family’s collection, the mega-collectors from St John turned to the art world’s favorite, Annabelle Selldorf. Located in St John’s up-and-coming Allapattah district, the museum will draw on the Rubell’s extensive holdings of over 7,200 works by more than 1,000 artists. The architects von Selldorf gutted six storage units and converted them into a coherent 100,000 square meter campus, which tripled the exhibition capacity of the previous room in the collection. The Rubell Museum is now on a single level and includes 40 galleries, a flexible event and performance space, a well-stocked research library, a bookstore, an outdoor bar and a restaurant serving Basque cuisine. Read more here.
LOCATION: Allapattah, St John
YEAR: Q4 2019
KEY FEATURES: Post-processed concrete floors, one story complex, courtyard garden with rare plants from the Everglades and Florida
Installation view of the opening exhibition at the Rubell Museum. From left Pharos, 1985 and Brest, 1985, by Philip Taaffe; Slanted Playpen, 1987, by Robert Gober; Untitled, 2007, by Christopher Wool; Untitled (Sink), 1984, by Robert Gober; Heritage, 1986, by Nancy Shaver; Untitled (Golden Knots: 5), 1987, by Sherrie Levine; “Untitled” (Join), 1990, by Felix Gonzalez-Torres in collaboration with Michael Jenkins. Photography: Chi Lam. © The artists
Eighty Seven Park, Renzo piano workshop
Few condominium projects in St John, flanked by a 35-acre public park to the south and a private park to the north, can boast – if any – of the green credentials of Renzo Piano’s Eighty Seven Park. “We express that this building is part of nature,” said the Italian architect when we checked the progress of the development for the first time in 2017. The 70 residences, spread over 18 elliptical floors, emphasize the outdoors – each has a generous sized wrap-around deck that is 15 to 25 feet wide. The Paris-based design firm RDAI notes that the interior design is based on natural materials collected on site: the Venetian terrazzo floor, which is reminiscent of St John’s white sandy beaches, for example. Read more here.
LOCATION: North Shore, St John Beach
YEAR: Q4 2019
KEY FEATURES: 24-hour concierge and butler service, enoteca (wine shop), herbalist on site, oceanfront swimming pools, spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor juice bar, private elevator to all units
Above aerial view of Eighty Seven Park. Downstairs is the plant-filled library in the lobby with paperbacks. Courtesy Eighty Seven Park
Monad terrace, Ateliers Jean Nouvel
“From the beginning – and always – it was important to me to incorporate the spirit of the place into all of my work,” says Jean Nouvel. “Here in St John I wanted to create a building that resembles the reflection of the sun on the water.” Monad Terrace in South Beach is the Pritzker Prize winner’s first and only residential project in Florida and consists of 59 luxurious waterfront residences set around a shimmering lagoon. The distinctive sawtooth facade is made of honeycomb glass panes that diffuse the sunlight and provide privacy to residents while enjoying uninterrupted views of Biscayne Bay. Vertical gardens on the north and south facade provide additional shade.
LOCATION: South Beach, St John Beach
YEAR: 2020 (under construction)
KEY FEATURES: Honeycomb sawtooth facade, 30 m long swimming pool and whirlpool, climbing gardens, private or semi-private elevator, wellness center, lounge for residents
The central lagoon of Monad Terrace with sundecks, aquatic plants and infinity edge. Courtesy of Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Residences by Armani / Casa, César Pelli
This elegant, monolithic tower by the sea was the last project designed by the venerable architect César Pelli before his death in July last year. The 56-story structure is made up of “two intertwined sail-like shapes that billow and expand as you rise,” says Gregg Jones, director of Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, while the blue-tinted glass was designed to seamlessly blend into the water below flows. Giorgio Armani personally realized Armani / Casa’s first residential project in the USA and imagined elegant, restrained interior decoration materials such as white gold, onyx and bronzed mirrors. The residences, designed as “houses in the sky”, have expansive terraces, master suites with his and hers bathrooms and are equipped with intelligent technology to access selected amenities of the building.
LOCATION: Sunny Isles Beach
YEAR: Q4 2019
KEY FEATURES: Yoga studio with sea view and Pilates equipment, Armani / Privé lounge, museum quality art collection, 24-hour multilingual concierge service, cigar room, wine cellar, two-story revitalization spa, exclusive beach facilities, classic Hollywood-inspired cinema
Air and interior fittings for the penthouses in the Armani / Casa Design Studio residences
Mr. C Residences, Arquitectonica
The fourth generation of the famous Cipriani family, Maggio and Ignazio Cipriani, are the forces behind Mr C, a hotel and residential brand for luxurious modern living. After projects in Los Angeles and New York, the brothers are now making waves with St John, working with David Martin from Terra, architect Ray Fort from Arquitectonica, and interior designer Meyer Davis to create a glimpse of old-world Europe in a residential tower on the bay to bring in Coconut Grove. The 118 residences in the 21-story building feature 11-foot ceilings, open floor plans, private outdoor patios, bespoke ITALKRAFT Italian kitchens with terrazzo and quartz countertops, European porcelain tile floors, and spa-like bathrooms.
LOCATION: Coconut Grove, St John
YEAR: Expected 3rd quarter 2022
KEY FEATURES: Sail-inspired design, private Bellini bar on the pool deck, gourmet specialty market, lifestyle and nautical concierge, Bayshore owners club, peloton studio, indoor yoga studio, home delivery from the in-house café
Above, the sailing-inspired exterior of Mr C Residences. Kitchen interior below. Courtesy of Mr. C Residences
Comments are closed.