News: Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has unveiled his design for a mixed-use retail building as part of the developing Miami Design District.
Fujimoto's proposal features a facade covered with glass fins, which references the tropical rain that falls in the city during the summer.
Arcades on two levels will be enveloped by the glazed structure, which links the storefronts with a pedestrianised courtyard in the southern part of the Miami Design District.
"We believe the proposal will create an emblematical environment for the area surrounding Palm Court. The daily experience of our harmonised facade-corridor will enrich the city experience," said Sou Fujimoto.
The building is already under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Sou Fujimoto designed this year's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion and provoked a debate about the validity of unpaid internships by telling Dezeen they were seen as a "nice opportunity" in Japan.
Also in Miami, Zaha Hadid has designed a sixty-storey residential skyscraper with a concrete "exoskeleton" structure, Herzog & de Meuron has created a tower with a parallelogram-shaped plan, and OMA has been awarded the commission to renovate the Miami Beach Convention Center.
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Here's some more information from the Miami Design District:
Miami Design District Unveils Plans for Building by Sou Fujimoto
The Miami Design District is proud to announce the commission of a new mixed-use retail building located in the neighborhood's Palm Court. The latest development's building façade is designed by award winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. The project, one of the cornerstones of the pedestrian-centric area is scheduled for completion in 2014.
Inspired by the flowing movement of waterfalls and Miami's tempestuous rain squalls, the building's two-floor structure will feature an elongated series of glass fins extending from the rooftop down to the open courtyard creating a dynamic visual spectacle and alluding to the prevalent aquatic nature of the city. Spanning approximately 17,000 square-feet, the building's façade encompasses first and second floor arcades creating a unique pedestrian experience under the structural waterfall. The retail housed within this project is part of Palm Court – the District's southern pedestrian promenade. The addition of Fujimoto's building furthers the Miami Design District’s dedication to create vibrant public spaces where art, commerce and community harmoniously coexist.
"We called on Fujimoto, one of the most exciting architects working today, to design the building and contribute his vision to the overall aesthetic of Palm Court. We are firmly committed to distinctive architecture and design as a way to realize our vision of enhancing and ultimately transforming the neighborhood. Creating engaging mixed retail and public spaces is integral to a thriving community. Fujimoto's building will contribute well to the unity of design, fashion, art and architecture within the Design District," said Craig Robins, President of Dacra.
One of today's most forward thinking international architects, Sou Fujimoto is known for delicate, light structures and permeable enclosures. Inspired by organic eco-systems, such as forests, nests and the caves, Fujimoto's signature creations exhibit a vibrant interplay between nature and architecture, blending the internal and external. Among Fujimoto's projects in Japan are the Final Wooden House, T House and House N – in which one almost transparent volume is nested inside another – the Musashino Art Museum and the Library at Musashino Art University. In 2013, Fujimoto was selected to design the Serpentine Gallery pavilion in London, one of the world's most ambitious architectural commissions.
"We believe the proposal will create an emblematical environment for the area surrounding Palm Court. The daily experience of our harmonized facade-corridor will enrich the city experience." said Sou Fujimoto, about his design.
The Miami Design District is a unique, 18 square-block neighborhood just north of downtown Miami comprised of creative experiences and is committed to the unity of design, fashion, art and architecture. The development is owned by Miami Design District Associates, a partnership between Craig Robins' company Dacra, and L Real Estate, a global real estate development fund focused on luxury retail driven mixed-use projects in which LVMH is a minority investor.