All wrapped up: Miami Design District welcomes a new face

Daytime outside image of The City View Garage, trees and shrubs, metal frame exterior, blue sky

The City View Garage - the latest addition to Miami Design District - with façades by Leong Leong and IwamotoScott

(Image credit: TBC)

last updated 6 September 2022

The City View Garage project saw San Franciscan architects Lisa Iwamoto and Craig Scott of IwamotoScott and New York- and Los Angeles-based brothers Dominic and Chris Leong of Leong Leong each commissioned to create a façade on opposite ends of the building, along with Timothy Haahs & Associates who served as Architect of Record.

Standing at 80 feet, Leong Leong's western elevation is clad in a glittering series of folded, gold titanium-coated, stainless steel panels. Meanwhile, IwamotoScott have created a digitally fabricated, modulated, metal screen to wrap the south-eastern corner. Suspended from a series of fins cantilevered from the edges of the garage's concrete slabs, the varying apertures of the folded aluminum modules allow for natural ventilation while strategically hiding the building's industrial structure underneath.

Beneath the garage, the ground floor of the building is lined with storefronts soon to be populated by bars, restaurants, cafes and galleries, while up above DACRA and L Real Estate have commissioned Californian artist John Baldessari to create two public art pieces, 'Fun Part 1' and 'Fun Part 2' to adorn the exterior. Installed on opposite sides of the building, gigantic and clearly visible from the adjacent freeway, drivers are able to admire Baldessari's billboard-sized black and white stills depicting nostalgic beach and poolside scenes as they tackle their daily commute.

Daytime outside image of Leong Leong's elevation, building stands at 80 feet, white ground floor windows and doors, grass slope, street lights, road, pathway, blue sky — Leong Leong's elevation, standing at 80 feet

Daytime outside image of Leong Leong's elevation, glittering series of panels from titanium-coated stainless steel, building stands at 80 feet, white ground floor windows and doors, grass slope, street lights, road, pathway, blue sky — Leong Leong created the series of glittering series of panels from titanium-coated stainless steel

Interior view of the Leong Leong building, sunlight dances in through the screen's abstract apertures, grey concrete floor, white stairwell, blue cone shape stumps — Inside, sunlight dances in through the screen's abstract apertures

Interior view of the building fa&ccedil;ades strategically hiding the industrial structure underneath, light shining through creating a pattern on the walls and floor — Both façades strategically hide the building's industrial structure underneath

Interior view of the Leong Leong building, stairwells, light shining through the external design casting patterns on the inside — Leong Leong used a gold-coloured titanium to coat the panels, imparting an even warmer glow to the Miami sunlight

Roof playground, pastel colours, light casting shadows and patterns through the fa&ccedil;ades, clear blue sky — Up on the roof: playground pastels benefit from the shadows thrown by the façades

Miami street image, palm trees, road with parked trucks, street light, small square white building, windows, tall white panelled wall with black and white billboard poster of a girl on a beach, spotted parasol, clear blue dusk sky — John Baldessari's 'Fun Part 2', lending a little light relief to the daily grind

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Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.