An 18-story residential tower, GLASS is situated on the southern tip of Miami Beach, in the South of Fifth Street neighbourhood. Light and ethereal, GLASS is a response to its site, context and environment.
The building dematerializes as it rises, with its exterior almost disappearing into the atmosphere and its compositional use of fritted, patterned glass.
GLASS reflects, captures and abstracts the natural landscape of sand, sea and sky, while retaining the essence of place through its architectural design, its materials, surface textures and tonal color.
The building’s entrance is an immersive environment – at once luxurious and elemental, with natural light and areas with water that evoke the beach. Referencing the visual effect of waves meeting the shore and receding into the sand, porous
Coquina stone, which contains fragments of shell and coral, becomes gradually interspersed with small rectangles of smooth, blue Macauba quartzite that reaches a greater density at the elevator, signaling the transition between sand and sea.
The tower itself conveys the qualities of the sky. Open fl oor-plans with 360-degree views and expansive terraces with sliding doors blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor space.
Inside, the ceilings of each of ten exclusive units echo this natural element with greyscale tones, darker at the lower fl oors and lightest at the level of the penthouse.
Mirrored walls at every entry refl ect an expansive view of the ocean. Indicating the shift between night and day, each foyer also contains a custom ceiling combining a translucent latex surface and a programmable lighting system.
The density of lights is carefully choreographed at each level, evoking the star-lit canopy of both urban and rural skies. Delicate and sensorial, the design of GLASS is a considered response to its setting in Miami Beach, specifi cally intended to allow one to experience the surrounding natural landscape.
GLASS at sunrise, refl ecting, capturing, and abstracting the natural landscape. Source by Rene Gonzalez Architect.
Location: Miami Beach, USA
Architects: Rene Gonzalez Architect
Principal: Rene Gonzalez
Associate: Monica Vazquez
Project Team: Kevin Regalado, Joshua Sperduti-Figueroa
Developer: Terra Group
Architect of Record: Rai Fernandez, Bermello Ajamil & Partners
Structural engineer: Desimone Consulting Engineers
MEP engineer: Steve Feller P.E., P.L.
Civil engineering: VSN Engineers
Contractor: John Moriarty & Associates
Landscape Architect: Raymond Jungles Inc.
Year: 2015
Photographs: Michael Stavaridis, Courtesy Rene Gonzalez Architect
