The Faena Forum in Miami designed by OMA



The dynamic core of the Faena District, is the Forum, a hybrid structure for presenting exhibitions, all variety of performances, as well as culinary happenings, lectures and debates, along with conference and corporate events. It features a cast-concrete-and-glass façade that mimics the forms of tropical foliage and comprises two contiguous volumes, a cube and a cylinder. Since the Forum occupies a small, wedge-shaped site, the architects felt that if they were to contain all its activities in a single volume, the building would look cumbersome and out of proportion with its residential-scale neighbours. As a more elegant solution, they instead conceived the 42,565-sq-ft facility as a contiguous cylinder and cube composed of cast concrete and glazing. In addition to the two volumes better respecting the neighbourhood – with the cylinder echoing Miami Beach’s many Streamline buildings – and providing more surrounding public space, where they meet is concealed a central loading dock and an entry to subterranean parking.