Starchitects Herzog & de Meuron's Jade Signature condo tower in Sunny Isles Beach is a fascinatingly designed building that, instead of flashing fancy renderings everywhere and screaming 'Here I am, look at me!" has slowly, almost tauntingly, revealed bits of itself over time, nurturing a heightened sense of anticipation. (and Curbed coverage) The latest glimpse is a spectacular model of the lower floors, at Fortune International's mini-pre-sales center/secret shrine to Jade Signature.
Here we have the first two floors of Jade Signature, the lower amenity level and the main lobby level. Three levels of parking are beneath, underground, and a spa level, below many residential levels, is above. Unlike practically every other condo tower near it, the building is not a fortress facing the street, but opens the ground floor and amenities to a generous landscaped yard (by Raymond Jungles) and pedestrian entrance. A motor drive curves around a fully ground tree and then curves again around a grand staircase leading from the pedestrian entry to the main entrance. The main entrance is within a large domed structure with an oculus at the top, kind of like a cave or a James Turrell artwork. A matching domed structure sits on the beach-side of the building, suspended over the cafe.
The building is angled to enhance views south to the nearby pier, to capture winds coming off the gulf stream, and to give the pool deck direct light for more hours of the day, creating what developers call a 'cone of light.' Another pool sits to the south to capture light when the building finally swallows the sun. An interior grand staircase descends from the soaring lobby space to the lower amenity level, and an exterior grand stair mirrors its descent, but this time to the pool. Lavish, Jungly landscaping (again, by Mr. Jungles) surrounds the project in all directions. Wide terraces and expansive glass walls giving broad ocean and city views are juxtaposed with much more enclosed spaces (the two domed areas) for dramatic architectural effect. And finally, many people who have been annoyed with Herzog & de Meuron's affinity for raw concrete will be happy to know the whole tower will be covered in a very unique kind of white stucco.
· Jade Signature coverage [Curbed Miami]
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