Miami has fittingly earned its reputation as a party city dripping in glitz. Where else would luxury car companies build branded skyscrapers? But a step away from the downtown high-rises—a new development in Coconut Grove has an all-star lineup for design enthusiasts. With architecture by OMA—helmed by Rem Koolhaas—interiors by Meyer Davis, and kitchens and baths by AD100 designer William Sofield , Park Grove is taking a more organic approach to design in the Sunshine State. Rest assured, this doesn't imply any lack of Miami flair. World-class art adorns every common space (including an adjacent sculpture park ) and luxurious balconies are par for the course.
AD caught up with OMA partner and architect lead Shohei Shigematsu—who oversaw the project—and Will Meyer and Gray Davis—principals of design firm Meyer Davis—to discuss the ins and outs of Park Grove.
A lobby is full of art, wood paneling, and vegetation.
Meyer and Davis consider the lobby one of the highlights of Park Grove. In true Miami fashion, the room is a showstopper—a double-height ceiling, balconies filled with plants, and art from the personal collection of developer Jorge Pérez. To bring their signature warmth into the interiors, Meyer and Davis covered natural-stained wood planks over the elevator core. "You have warm wood, and we used this stone floor that has undulating strips to give it another sense of organic warmth," Davis explains. "Decoratively, we used these beautiful, tropical-themed custom rugs that give it another layer of warmth and sense of place."
Often, the art dictated the rest of a space's design. "We really considered a home for some of the more sculptural, large-scale pieces," says Davis, pointing to the massive African head-shaped piece that's a centerpiece in the lobby. "A lot of the furniture works well with not only the architecture but also the art in the project," he adds.
The undulating façade is a cornerstone of the project.
OMA's original design for the site was six perfectly cylindrical towers. In the end, due to efficiency and design, the design shifted into three towers, each consisting of two cylinders pushed together. (Because there are two elevator "cores" in each building, residents can arrive at their units without walking down a corridor.) Thus, the trademark undulating façade was born.
Shigematsu explains that the shape was inspired by artist Christo's and his wife Jean-Claude's 1983 installation "Surrounded Islands." Using swaths of hot pink fabric, Christo and his team bordered all of the islands and archipelagos in Biscayne Bay, creating an eye-catching effect of globular, floating shapes decades ahead of Instagram bait. The installation is often credited with the rebirth of Miami's art scene. "It really demarcated the organic landscape of this area," Shigematsu says. "So we thought that merging the two tubes creates a resemblance to the islands in Biscayne Bay, and also starts to truly show the landscape features that are around this area."
Inside a penthouse unit at Park Grove.
It's not a Miami high-rise without an ocean view. Looking out the penthouse window is no exception. Through floor to ceiling windows, residents overlook the scenic Biscayne Bay and civic park spaces that OMA devised. Shigematsu adds, "all developments in Miami have great balconies, and we have that too."
The reception area.
Art seeps into nearly every aspect of Park Grove. In the reception area, a painting pops off the white walls, while statement lighting adds glamour to the space. "For us, the furnishing and decorative element of the building complements the architecture, but we also wanted to reflect the lighthearted and bohemian informality of Coconut Grove," says Meyer. "So there's an elevated quality to the interiors, but its definitely informed by the culture of Coconut Grove." To enhance the bohemian flair, Meyer Davis brought in tropical plants and used eccentric art to bring a spirit of liveliness and fun into the interiors.
Lush greenery and curved motifs are at play inside and out.
Shigematsu explains that creating the parklike grounds at Park Grove was a challenge. "We had to move the existing Coconut Grove bank to a new location, and blanket it with the lush landscape so it looks continuous from the sculpture park to the waterfront," he says. The team also created a public path so anyone can walk directly through the property to the water. In the pool area, it's clear that the undulating shape of the structure was integrated into the landscape design. Reeds are planted in organic cutouts on the deck, and mature trees shade chaise longues. It has to live up to its name of being located in a grove, after all.
