

sou fujimoto’s blue glass façade nears completion in miami design district

image © designboom



the sou fujimoto-designed façade extension has taken shape in the miami design district, within the area’s ‘palm court’. the gallery walkway is composed of blue-colored glass fins, which are connected and reinforced by minimally expressed steel elements with a robust structural frame above. the tonality produces a visual spectacle as well as an atmosphere that references the city’s aquatic nature. see designboom’s initial coverage on the commissioned proposal here.

just outside, serving as the centerpiece of the outdoor courtyard, is buckminster fuller’s 24-foot ‘fly’s eye’ dome, unveiled during art basel miami beach. the structure is a faithful re-creation of the original prototype, featuring high-impact polycarbonate lenses in in construction. read more on designboom here.

the miami design district revamp is being led by craig robins’ real estate company dacra, and will bring various luxury fashion brands such as givenchy, miu miu, tom ford, marc jacobs, valentino, fendi, dolce & gabbana, giorgio armani and van cleef & arpels to the area. beyond a transformation of the ‘palm court’, the redevelopment work includes two separate parking garage façades designed by iwamotoscott and leong leong, two buildings by aranda/lasch, and a retail structure’s envelope by K/R.





the gallery walkway is composed of blue-colored glass fins

image © designboom



the blue fins are connected and reinforced by minimally expressed steel elements

image © designboom



buckminster fuller’s 24-foot ‘fly’s eye’ dome is sited in the courtyard

image © designboom



the tonality produces an atmosphere that references the city’s aquatic nature

image © designboom



image © designboom



detail of the blue glass façade

image © designboom



image © designboom



the building houses retail locations for various luxury fashion brands

image © designboom



portrait of sou fujimoto at the building in miami

image © designboom



craig robins, CEO and president of dacra

image © designboom

construction images below show the project in an intermediate state.



construction nears completion

photo © golden dusk photography



the structure lines the miami design district ‘palm court’

photo © golden dusk photography

photo © golden dusk photography

the glass fins extend the façade of an existing two story mixed-use retail building

photo © golden dusk photography

the blue tonality produces a visual spectacle as well as an atmosphere that references the city’s aquatic nature

photos © golden dusk photography

minimally expressed steel components connect and reinforce the light structure

photo courtesy of miami design district

photo courtesy of miami design district

photo courtesy of miami design district

an upper steel frame supports the light glass project

photo courtesy of miami design district

photo courtesy of miami design district