High-profile architecture firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) recently unveiled an interesting-looking new mixed-use development for Miami, Florida. While details are still rather thin on the ground at this early stage, if it does go ahead, Miami Produce will be elevated on stilts and topped by garden spaces.
Slated for the Allapattah district, Miami Produce will take up an area of 125,000 sq m (around 1.3 million sq ft) and be defined by eight stilted buildings comprising residential, office, and hotel space. They will be topped by rooftop gardens open to the public that offer choice views of the surrounding area and, according to the firm, provide "a variety of elevated recreational environments."
Three existing warehouses on the site will be retained and renovated. These will be used as restaurants, cafes, retail space, and a school. Elsewhere, the site will include garden areas, urban farming, and underground parking. Renders also depict the underground car park being used as some kind of meeting place or nightclub venue.
"Located in the center of the industrial district of Allapattah, Miami Produce creates a new destination for the city while retaining the neighborhood's industrial character," says BIG. "The architecture is conceived as a three-dimensional urban framework, designed with large industrial-sized floor plates to provide maximum programmatic flexibility."
BIG has been remarkably busy over the past few months and has revealed several fascinating projects in quick succession, including XI, A45, the Lanescraper, and the Shenzhen Energy Mansion.
There's no word yet as to how likely it is that Miami Produce will actually be constructed, but we'll keep you posted.
Source: BIG
