ASTRIDE TWO DISTRICTS: Sited on a very narrow lot immediately adjacent to I95, the project is located astride two resurgent districts. To the north, the Design District, a low scale retail district, has been experiencing a slow renaissance since 2005, amplified by the redevelopment starting in 2015 of a luxury retail complex. To the south, Midtown is in the process of redevelopment including new residential towers, mid-rise mixed-use buildings, and big-box retail. The resurgent districts are the backdrop for a rethinking of the site.
Miami, like most cities, shows a wide assortment of billboard types. A building may also be considered within this typology. As a project necessity, the billboard was designed to be included as a part of the architecture of the building
After the project was complete, a new tenant took over the entire building. A renowned Italian fashion institute, the school needed an unusual building in which to house its first US branch.
Currently, the project is undergoing a change of use to be able to function as a school.
The tower’s seven stories allow for all of the varied program areas required by a school.
As part of an agreement with the district’s primary landlord, the main highway-facing façade has been set aside for art installations. Currently on view is Lufthansa by Thomas Bayrle (2016). This billboard will be changed out several times per year.
Billboard Building
Miami Design District, Florida | 2016
Located at the entrance to Miami’s Design District, at the intersection of I-195 and NE 2nd Avenue (the district’s N-S main street), the Billboard Building exploits its location to maximum effect. The project combines a 3-story 1920s commercial building with a slender addition that rises more than 90 feet. The addition embraces the old building, with the wrapper forming a billboard that faces the highway corridor on one side, and an art-wall that faces the district on the other. The architectural integration of the two buildings contrasts the ornate stucco façade of the original with the transparent, scenographic qualities of the tower. The renowned Italian fashion school Istituto Marangoni became the building's sole tenant in 2018.
Architect: Shulman + Associates
Interiors for Istituto Marangoni: Studiokhom
Furnishings: Cappellini Official
Landscape Architect: Naturalficial
Photographer: Emilio Collavino
Client: AKORP Holdings/ Istituto Marangoni Miami
Awards:
2018 Dade Heritage Trust Annual Preservation Award
2017 AIA Architect's Newspaper Honorable Mention/ Renovation
2017 AIA Miami Honor Award / Built >50k SF
2017 AIA Florida Honor Award
2014 AIA Florida Award of Excellence / Unbuilt