South of Fifth - or SoFi by its trendier moniker - is an affluent enclave on the southern tip of Miami Beach, and one of the city’s priciest neighbourhoods, with luxury residential towers bound by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the lagoon of Biscayne Bay to the west and South Pointe Park to the south. This is prime real estate, following urban regeneration over the last decade, thanks to visionary, risk-taking developers, who helped create the exclusive urban oasis that exists today.
‘GLASS’ by Rene Gonzalez Architect marks one of the first new residential developments to be completed in the City of Miami Beach in almost five years, a first in high-rise design for the local architect, and the last tall development permitted in South of Fifth due to zoning restrictions.
The 18-storey condominium was developed by Terra, the South Florida real estate development firm that seeks to create sustainable, design orientated communities. With commercial potential for up to 45 units, Terra opted for the ‘less is more’ approach, favouring 10 full-floor luxury residences with 360 degree views of its remarkable setting.
The all-glass tower, formed of perimeter glazing slotted into bold horizontal floor planes and minimalist frameless glass balustrading to the expansive wrap-around terraces, creates a playful ambiguity between inside and out. The firms philosophy is rooted in the belief that a building is inexorably linked to the natural and cultural elements of its surroundings.
‘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,’ explains Gonzalez. Internally the apartments are bright and spacious allowing the varying views to take precedence.
Residents of the sold-out tower will begin to move in later this month.
GLASS is the result of a collaborative effort between Rene Gonzalez Architect and Terra, a South Florida real estate development firm
The all-glass tower is the first high-rise residential project for the Miami based architects and the last permitted high rise development in SoFi due to zoning restrictions
The 18 storey condominium comprises of 10 full-floor luxury residences with 360 degree views. The all-glass tower is formed of perimeter glazed walls, slotted into striking horizontal floor planes
The building dematerializes as it rises, with the penthouse levels setback from the primary floors. Residents of the sold-out tower will begin to move in later this month
Clear, fritted and patterned glass is implemented on the exterior, with integrated solar shading devices to the lower levels
Frameless glass panels form sleek balustrading to the expansive wrap around terraces
The building entrance is conceived as an immersive environment with luxurious stone finishes of Coquina and blue Macauba quartzite referencing the nearby beach
INFORMATION
For more information on Rene Gonzalez Architect visit the website
Photography: Michael Stavaridis/ courtesy Rene Gonzalez Architect
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
Think small, think electric, as Hyundai attempts to revolutionise the classic Indian three-wheelerHyundai’s Micro Mobility strategy, in collaboration with Indian manufacturer TVS, has revealed two conceptual takes on small electric urban transport in a bid to cut the country’s crushing pollution issue
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universeFrom Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
-
Reflections from Los Angeles: a local writer's personal account of the LA firesArchitecture writer and local resident Michael Webb reflects on the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires and offers his personal account of the events of the last two weeks in California
-
LA Mayor Karen Bass outlines her plan for rebuilding the cityFollowing the devastating LA wildfires, which have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, the city’s mayor has outlined her plan for reconstruction
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House, a Usonian modernist Michigan gem, could be yoursFrank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House in Michigan is on the market – a chance to peek inside the heritage modernist home in the countryside
-
Cabin House is a simple modernist retreat in the woods of North CarolinaDesigned for downsizing clients, Cabin House is a modest two-bedroom home that makes the most of its sylvan surroundings
-
A Texas ranch house blends Californian charm and Asian minimalism in a 'balance in hybridity'Pontious, a Texas ranch house designed by OWIU, is a home grounded in its owner's cultural identity, uniting Californian, Chinese and Japanese roots
-
The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to allThe modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie StathakiThe top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
-
A vacant Tribeca penthouse is transformed into a bright, contemporary eyrieA Tribeca penthouse is elevated by Peterson Rich Office, who redesigned it by adding a sculptural staircase and openings to the large terrace
