Architecture

Porsche Design Tower elevator deposits car and driver inside their luxury apartment

Porsche Design Tower elevator deposits car and driver inside their luxury apartment
Glass elevators transport cars to the desired floor and park them in the apartment's "Sky Garage" (Image: Porsche Design)
Glass elevators transport cars to the desired floor and park them in the apartment's "Sky Garage" (Image: Porsche Design)
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Sample floor plan for one of the apartment options (Image: Porsche Design)
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Sample floor plan for one of the apartment options (Image: Porsche Design)
Each apartment's "Sky Garage" features a viewing window into the living space (Image: Porsche Design)
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Each apartment's "Sky Garage" features a viewing window into the living space (Image: Porsche Design)
The apartments are priced between US$4.5 to $25 million (Image: Porsche Design)
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The apartments are priced between US$4.5 to $25 million (Image: Porsche Design)
Luxury features include a private restaurant, gym, spa, pool, and sunset terrace (Image: Porsche Design)
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Luxury features include a private restaurant, gym, spa, pool, and sunset terrace (Image: Porsche Design)
Robotic arms guide your car into one of the three glass elevators (Image: Porsche Design)
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Robotic arms guide your car into one of the three glass elevators (Image: Porsche Design)
Glass elevators transport cars to the desired floor and park them in the apartment's "Sky Garage" (Image: Porsche Design)
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Glass elevators transport cars to the desired floor and park them in the apartment's "Sky Garage" (Image: Porsche Design)
The 60-floor tower boast views of the Miami coastline (Image: Porsche Design)
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The 60-floor tower boast views of the Miami coastline (Image: Porsche Design)
132 residences occupy the 641-ft (195-m)-tall building (Image: Porsche Design)
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132 residences occupy the 641-ft (195-m)-tall building (Image: Porsche Design)
Dezer Development reports that over 50 percent of apartments are already under contract (Image: Porsche Design)
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Dezer Development reports that over 50 percent of apartments are already under contract (Image: Porsche Design)
The Porsche Design tower has broken ground this year and expected completion is in 2016 (Image: Porsche Design)
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The Porsche Design tower has broken ground this year and expected completion is in 2016 (Image: Porsche Design)
This is the first time the luxury Porsche Design brand has branched into architecture (Image: Porsche Design)
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This is the first time the luxury Porsche Design brand has branched into architecture (Image: Porsche Design)
Porsche Design’s distinctive styling was established by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (Image: Porsche Design)
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Porsche Design’s distinctive styling was established by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (Image: Porsche Design)
Car can also feature in the 8-level car observatory that features on the sunset terrace (Image: Porsche Design)
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Car can also feature in the 8-level car observatory that features on the sunset terrace (Image: Porsche Design)
The car elevator takes between 45 and 90 seconds to reach the apartments (Image: Porsche Design)
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The car elevator takes between 45 and 90 seconds to reach the apartments (Image: Porsche Design)
The three glass car elevators inhabit the core of the US$560 million condominium (Image: Porsche Design)
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The three glass car elevators inhabit the core of the US$560 million condominium (Image: Porsche Design)
The tower has been designed by Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership (Image: Porsche Design)
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The tower has been designed by Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership (Image: Porsche Design)
View gallery - 16 images

If you consider your car to be a work of art, then you can have it on display it in your living room ... if you live in one of the exclusive oceanfront apartments within Miami's Porsche Design Tower, that is. The Porsche Design brand has branched into architecture, and aims to give a new meaning to the term "drive in" by using three robotic elevators that deliver both the driver and their car right into the home.

The three glass car elevators inhabit the core of the US$560 million condominium complex, and although automated parking garages are nothing new, this is said to be the first residential car elevators where you can stay in your vehicle.

When a resident drives into the complex, the car is scanned and proceeds onto a turntable. With the car's engine switched off, the turntable aligns with the glass elevator capsule that uses a robotic arm to scoop up the car and place it inside. But don't worry, laser scanners will ensure the arms don't scrape the vehicle's paint job.

Upon reaching the desired floor, the same arm will then park the car in the apartment sky garage, delivering the owner to the front door. Whilst riding in your luxury car to your luxury apartment, you can use the 45 to 90-second ride to take in the panoramic ocean views and watch the in-elevator TV.

Designed in collaboration with the Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership, the building includes all of the features that you might expect: a private restaurant, gym, spa, pool and 24-hour concierge for residents and their cars. If viewing your car through a glass window in your living room isn’t enough, you can watch it travel through the eight-level car observatory that features on the sunset terrace as the valet takes it to the apartment for you.

Each apartment's "Sky Garage" features a viewing window into the living space (Image: Porsche Design)
Each apartment's "Sky Garage" features a viewing window into the living space (Image: Porsche Design)

With condos priced between $4.5 and $25 million, it is unlikely that your average family saloon will feature in many “sky garages” of the 132 residences that occupy the 60-floor tower. Despite the high cost, Porsche Design Tower developer Dezer Development reports that over 50 percent of apartments are already under contract, so we can expect a Cayenne or two to take up residence as the family car when the building is completed in 2016.

The energy footprint of the 641 ft (195 m)-tall building powering three car elevators is not going to win any sustainability awards for Porsche Design's first foray into real estate, but the tower is a fitting addition to the luxury product line established by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. As the Porsche grandson's 911 design celebrates 50 years, we expect Porsche fans will exhibit a similar affinity to his company's residences.

The video below gives the rest of us a glimpse into the luxury lifestyle.

Source: Porsche Design via AN Blog

Porsche Design Tower Miami

View gallery - 16 images
4 comments
4 comments
f8lee
I take it back - if I live in this place I would definitely get one of the Fiat SMEG 500 refrigerators and position it next to the elevator!
Jim Sadler
We have now put a spin on a banana republic issue. Go to Puerto Rico and if you have a bicycle the only way to keep it is to chain it to your bed. Now Americans can do the same thing with their bling car. The builders will no longer have to build a parking garage under the dwellings. Then again they won't be able to bill you $500 a month to park a car. The way condo dwellers normally hate each other i can just picture the rage in waiting in line for the car elevator. Car thieves won't change much as now when you are in que to wait for the car elevator they can stick a gun at your window and take the car as well as your wallets and jewelry etc.. Maybe a bicycle elevator would be a better idea and no cars allowed by residents might work out for them nicely as well.
Mirmillion
I hope the garages are sealed and vented to the outside. Nothing more appetizing than the smells of hot engine, breaks, catalytic converter and the inevitable wafting of synthetic oil.
Gadgeteer
Old news. Some New York City apartments have had private car elevators for years.