Art at heart: Arquitectonica’s new Miami tower has its own curated art collection
We’re not ones to challenge the stature of South Beach being the preferred patch to live in Miami, but not far off, the lagoon known as Biscayne Bay is steadily making its presence known. Wedged between the Miami Beach island and the city’s mainland, the bay provides its inhabitants with waterfront views, along with all the comforts of urban living.
The area’s most recent addition is the exciting residential building, Iconbay. Designed by the locally based architecture firm Arquitectonica, the tower’s textured facade is inspired by ripples on the bay, which has given way to the bas-relief style balconies that poetically emerge from the building. Forty-three stories high, the luxury building does one better on just offering residents the usual amenities, such as a gym, pool, 24-hour concierge, games room and tennis courts – it boasts its own specially curated art collection that adorns its public spaces and walls. Collated by Patricia Hanna, art director of Iconbay developers Related Group, pieces by Latin American artists, such as Eugenio and Lautaro Cuttica, Fernando Reyna Escalona and Agustin Gonzalez fill the building and its grounds.
'From the start, our main goal was to blend architecture and art, so we took much of our inspiration from Iconbay’s design, like its jagged edges and the influence light has on the interiors,' Hanna says. 'Given its proximity to the water, there was a lot of emphasis on transparency, color and natural light. The artworks are placed in dialogue with their surroundings.'
Another one of Iconbay’s unique features is a waterfront sculpture garden and public park, both designed by ArquitectonicaGEO, the firm’s landscape design arm. Tracing the waterfront, Iconbay’s park opens up a 400-foot pedestrian link between the city and the bay, making it the first development of its kind to fuse both private and public access in order to make the Biscayne waterfront available to all. It’s also the first iteration of a larger commitment by Related Group to create a series of shoreside parks all along the bay. Visitors to the park are not only able to enjoy its views; they also have access to Iconbay’s sculpture garden, which is filled with specially commissioned sculptures, thanks to a partnership with the National Young Arts Foundation.
'Our goal is for residents of our buildings to have the pleasure of living with art and for the artwork to inspire them in some way,' Hanna concludes. 'We are also particularly proud of what we have done to incorporate art in public places so as to benefit the community.'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Inside Valentino’s glamorous new Sloane Street store, inspired by the art of haute couture
The latest in Valentino’s ‘The New Maison’ store concept opens on London’s Sloane Street this week, offering an enveloping marble and carpet-clad space of ‘intimacy and uniqueness’
By Jack Moss Published
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiences
Aesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternatives
From the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawings
Based on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its history
An Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovation
Leica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizon
Designed by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
At the Hilbert Museum of California Art’s expanded home, art and architecture converge
The Hilbert Museum of California Art expands its home, courtesy of Los Angeles architecture studio Johnston Marklee
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Pearlman Cabin by John Lautner is an organic Californian mountain retreat
John Lautner’s midcentury Pearlman Cabin, tucked away in the Californian mountain resort of Idyllwild, is a striking example of organic architecture
By Mimi Zeiger Published
-
Albert Frey’s Aluminaire House is reborn in Palm Springs
Aluminaire House, designed by legendary modernist Albert Frey, has been reconstructed outside the Palm Springs Art Museum
By Michael Webb Published