SHoP Architects Designs Mercedes-Benz’ First US Residential Skyscraper
Source: Dezeen, Ellen Eberhardt
Photo: SHoP Architects
German car brand Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its first branded skyscraper in North America created in collaboration with SHoP Architects and informed by a philosophy of “sensual purity”.
Mercedes-Benz Places is a planned 67-storey, mixed-used skyscraper under construction in the Brickell neighbourhood of Miami.
Developed by JDS Development Group (JDS), the building was designed collaboratively between New York studio SHoP Architects and the Mercedes-Benz design team.
At 2.5 million square feet (232,257 square metres) it will be one of the largest projects currently under construction in Florida, according to the project team.
The development will also include a “reimagining” of Miami’s Southside Park by American landscape studio Field Operations, which sits nearby.
Renderings of the building show multiple rectangular volumes stacked in alternating, perpendicular directions. Curved-corner balconies line each floor of the building’s exterior, with larger terraces tucked between spaces created by the structure’s arrangement.
A residential portion will host 791 Merecedes-Benz-branded residences, ranging from studios to 3-bedroom condominiums.
The remaining square footage will have 200,000 square feet (18,580 square metres) of office space, health and fitness facilities, a hotel, retail space and 130,000 square feet (12,077 square metres) of amenities.
The shape of the tower was informed by the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of “sensual purity”, which it described as a “symbiosis of intelligence and emotion”.
“Our distinctive style is Sensual Purity,” said Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gordan Wagener.
“This philosophy, based on the duality of emotion and intelligence, consists of a hot and a cool pole.”
He said that the influence of the technical work of German design group Bauhaus still resonates with the firm’s building design, informing the “cool” pole.
“The emotional side of Sensual Purity is characterised by free-flowing, elliptical lines and shapes inspired by nature,” added the team.
According to the team, the tower’s multiple balconies were designed to “capture the light in a wide variety of ways”.
A “technical silver” will be the building’s dominating colour, with black-and-white details informed by classic Mercedes-Benz colours. A large Merecedes-Benz logo will be affixed to the building’s entrance.
The development will include a refurbishment of Brickell’s Southside Park, which sits at the base of the tower.
“In addition to changing the residential landscape, Mercedes-Benz Places in Miami will transform the Brickell neighbourhood,” said the team.
“Key to this will be reimagining Southside Park as an urban oasis. With its canopy of trees and native vegetation, such as mango trees and shortleaf figs, the project aims to create a healthy living space.”
According to the team, foundation work has broken ground and occupancy is planned to start in 2027.
“As JDS Development Group and Mercedes-Benz work together, Mercedes-Benz Places in Miami will emerge as a symbol of excellence, innovation, and a timeless presence in Miami,” said the team.
The project marks the fourth collaboration created by JDS and SHoP Architects, with others including the recently completed Brooklyn Tower and two “dancing” copper-clad towers in New York.
Merecedes-Benz recently unveiled its first branded skyscraper in Dubai, while car brand Bentley also shared its designs for oceanfront residences located in Miami, which will feature a car elevator that takes vehicles directly up to individual apartments.
The images are courtesy of the JDS Development Group by the Boundary.
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/02/28/mercedes-benz-first-us-residential-skyscraper-miami