In Progress: 1111 Lincoln Road / Herzog & de Meuron

Nov 2009

Miami has been changing a lot over this last decade, turning into a rich cultural city. Events such as Art Basel Miami Beach (the most important art event in the US) and buildings by international architects are part of this ongoing change.

One of these new projects in the city is 1111 Lincoln Road, a development envisioned by Robert Wennett and materialized by swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.

This mixed use project is currently being built at the corner of Alton and Lincoln, one of the most active pedestrian areas in the city, and it will include residences, retail spaces and parking. Parking takes a central space in this building, with one of the best views I have ever seen on a parking space.

Jacques Herzog stated that this builing will reinterpret the essence of Tropical Modernism, and somehow it reminds me of the modern movement in Brazil, with huge structures providing shade, while containing smaller enclosing elements. The slabs stand over a set of irregular columns, giving a sense of a precarious equilibrium. This columns also cast different shadows, giving more character to the facade.

I´m very interested on seeing how this project ends up, and how this can affect (in a positive way) the extension of the Miami Art Museum, another project by Herzog & de Meuron for the city.

Photographer Paul Clemence shared with us some photos of this project during construction, on which you can see more about the expressive concrete structure.

More renderings and the construction photos after the break.

29 comments »

Barry Hill says:

beautiful form, great example of a project that isn’t restricted by floor to floor height limits to get the most bang for the clients buck. Video is a let down though, just when you think your about to see something interesting the scene changes leaving the impression it could be a video of any commercial project in any city the world over

# November 10, 2009 at 16:57

simba says:

Herzorg & de Meuron never seem to amaze me this work is a part of the great work that they have done. Now they are just living to their expectations!

# November 10, 2009 at 17:36

Juni says:

H&dM are architecture gods

# November 10, 2009 at 17:47

erik says:

even gods have to use the toilet sometimes

# November 10, 2009 at 20:53

m.schumacher says:

nice garage!!!

# November 10, 2009 at 20:59

provecho says:

So, to be clear, it’s a parking garage? With a bit of mixed use inserted? The animation tells you nothing except that there’s some retail at sidewalk level. Great architects, but this is far from their best work…

# November 10, 2009 at 21:41

Robesfran says:

To simple for their portfolio!!!

# November 10, 2009 at 22:00

nixon says:

shaming decadence of H&deM. It seems like they were bitten by the Miami ugliness bug.

# November 10, 2009 at 23:09

leo sisack says:

It´s a beautifull building, but the inclution of the cars in such predominant places is truly an insult, a spit on the face of pedestrians, its obcene to squander space, money, sights and resources so rich people can show off theire sad treasures, pieces of metal with engines.

# November 10, 2009 at 23:11

Travis says:

That first photograph really eerie – do the usual ‘amazing’ renderings simulate a photo like this, or is a project measured by its ability to produce these kinds of photographs after its completion? …hmm… I mean, maybe architecture media produces and reproduces this kind of photogenic architecture (but it goes further, the renderings actually anticipated the people walking along and the cars driving around out front) that constructs the kind of reality it renders.

# November 11, 2009 at 00:26

Sun Sheng says:

afterall it’s a big challenge to structrue and construction designs0

# November 11, 2009 at 03:43

mimar says:

nice sculpture maybe, but what about the attitude of this work? while elsewhere sustainability, car free pedestrian areas, ‘green’ architecture and so forth is promoted, here we are celebrating the cars by dedicating them some of the most precious space in the city? reminds me a bit of the european development in the 50s. Back to the past?

# November 11, 2009 at 05:00

lagranha says:

Cool!!!!

Nice work by HdM… reminds me Vilanova Artigas…
Brutalist architect from Sao Paulo/ Brasil

Good Architects!

# November 11, 2009 at 11:43

cad says:

Abstracted house of cards

# November 11, 2009 at 13:58

Thor says:

At the end of the animation did anyone else notice how out of scale the cars are? How did they miss that?

# November 11, 2009 at 15:16

LED says:

They’re not cars, just the headlights/tail lights

# November 11, 2009 at 16:02

Lorenzo says:

“…a development envisioned by Robert Wennett and materialized by swiss architects by Herzog & de Meuron.”
Its not 100% Swiss (HdM) made.

# November 11, 2009 at 16:29

Tosh says:

Looks like nothing special to be honest.. I loved some of the previous work because of the skin ideas.. I can’t see the same topic in this one :( why did u stop??

# November 12, 2009 at 06:09