[ad_1]
In recent years, developers have aggressively enlisted internationally renowned architects to populate Miami’s growing skyline. Pritzker Prize-winning architect Eduardo Souto de Moura recently announced the construction of a new building, while Alberto Campo Baeza’s first U.S. office tower is about to open in downtown Miami. Now, in Miami’s Design District, another Pritzker Prize winner, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, is planning a new mixed-use building.
MIRAI is Kuma’s upcoming shopping and office development in partnership with Lionheart Capital, Leviathan Development and Well Duo. MIRAI’s landscape architect is Island Planning Corporation (IPC). The name MIRAI means “distant future” in Japanese.
The building is a low-rise, high-quality development with three floors dedicated to retail, commercial and office space. The announcement follows Kengo Kuma’s announcement in 2022, when the Japanese firm unveiled designs for its first residential tower in the United States, a waterfront building in the city’s Fenner neighborhood.
Renderings of MIRAI, first released in 2023, show a colorful upright rectangular volume. New, more detailed renderings show an all-white front covered by a perforated mesh screen. Due to setbacks in planning, the volume was disrupted; this gave the impression of multiple stacks merging on site. The screen acts as a false facade, providing solar shading to the second and third floors. Each tower houses a different luxury retail store at its base.
The site is orthogonal, so Kuma’s design has two main facades. Developers say this allows passers-by to admire the building from all angles. Materials were carefully selected based on their porosity to create an atmosphere of transparency. At intervals, screens will rise to create internal streets that guide visitors to other shopping options.
The project will house 17 retail units at its base, according to a news release. The stores are designed with flexibility in mind and can be combined so that brands can choose to occupy multiple units. The angular, almost layered appearance of the facade gives ideal “corner” conditions to all retail spaces. The developer hopes to have office tenants occupy the upper floors.
The developer continues that the building is heavily influenced by the nearby residential area, namely the low density of the environment and the abundance of greenery. The landscape design team aimed to integrate nature with architecture: at ground level, a sandy path beneath wooden soffits allows native species, plants and vegetation to flourish.
“MIRAI’s intention was to create a space that not only embodies natural tropical elements Miami But it also harmonizes seamlessly with its surroundings. It aims to provide a haven that exudes tranquility and comfort, inviting all who visit and reside to share in the essence of this vibrant city – a sanctuary where dreams can take flight amidst lush beauty. Miami“, Kengo Kuma said in a statement about MIRAI’s design.
Construction will begin in summer 2024 and be completed in 2025.
[ad_2]
Source link